Door to Deliverance
by Dresner1817
Summary: 3 years has past since Karl Dael joined the Order, But three years of fighting Ghosts and the unknown takes it's toll. A conspiracy is brewing in the Ghost Zone and it all begins by awakening the Ghost king... It's up to Karl, Ember, Desiree, And Dani to save the zone before Pariah Dark puts it under his Iron heel once again, this time with His Father's Black Heart. Sequel to CR.
1. Chapter 1: Mithras

_**Hello readers! This is Dresner1817 wishing you a wonderful new year! Ah yes, 2014 will be a wonderful year I know it will! So to start of the new year on a Clear slat, I bring you another story that Follows after Crossing The Rubicon, One of three Hex Girl's FanFic of mine that follow my Protagonist Karl Dael. If you want to learn a bit about Karl Dael and Claudia Marlin read my fics Dusk, Dawn, and Crossing the Rubicon For details on them both. To learn about Gigagen, Read Badlands Rock Concert  by Grumpydrawer. He is a great writing friend of mine and I hope you will take the time to read both of our works :)**_

_**This is my First Danny Phantom Fanfic and I hope all you top shelf-ers enjoy a new kick to the DP series. This is set 3 years after my story Crossing the Rubicon and one year after the Phantom Planet incident in the DP universe. I might return to the Hex girl's arch when I get more ideas, but right now I'm a little burned out on the Hex girls and I want to branch out to another series with great characters and enough "Grey area", Unexplored backgrounds to people and things, for a another one of my stories. **_

_**Authors Note: I own nothing, Only my OC's and It's organizations other than Gigagen which is a creation of Grumpydrawer. The armor worn by the Vulture trooper is the "Protect Gear" From Jin-Roh "The Wolf Brigade", a wonderful wonderful movie BTW! Also I'm a gun and military nut, so I will use weapon names, tactics, and other things that might as well be in Esperanto for some.**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Danny looked on from the sky as his parents Jack and Maddie Fenton, His sister Jazz, and Friends Sam and Tucker finished bringing in the last of the remaining refuges of Amity Park in a mix of the Fenton flyers, hovering ATV style platforms that Sam and Tucker enjoyed greatly, The Specter Speeder, and the venerable Fenton RV to ferry the towns people of Amity Park away from the city. In the distance Danny Phantom could see a large purple cloud engulf the city and the faint outline of a massive figure ruling over the city like a god. His laughter echoed through out the city, as did the massive vines and plant life that grew with out end.

"Undergrowth..." Danny said to himself as he looked on at the lost city.

Undergrowth, The spirit of the plants, lord of horticulture , and high priest of the botanical, Had taken over Amity park. After fighting a losing battle with Danny Phantom, Undergrowth retreated toward the industrial section of town and taken root in a fertilize factory. The factory was known for making high strength inorganic fertilize and agricultural growth hormone for large scale farms in the central United States and Canada. The hormones and fertilize acted like steroids and boosted Undergrowth's abilities by twofold, Increasing everything with no draw backs, allowing him to engulf the city in a jungle that rivaled that of his first assault on the city one year before. Not only had the fertilizer given him an extra boost of energy, but it allowed him to expand into the near by Axion Labs with a botanical research department with its own botanical garden. The garden's held a special specimen; A collection of genetically altered Angel trumpets taken from the leaderless Vladco corporation before it's take over by a shadowy corporation known as Gigagen.

The Angel's Trumpets grew to unimaginable size in a matter of seconds once Undergrowth "Liberated" them and used his power to manipulate the trumpet's to turn it's poison into a nerve gas like fog that blanketed the city. The massive yellow and red trumpet shaped bells that is the Angel Trumpet hung down from the large sky scrapers and dumped their gas on the city without end. His super charged army of plants proved to be tougher than they were last and protected the Angel trumpets with out a second thought. The vines proved to be even tougher as well... The gas killed a large sum of people in Amity Park, but due to the help of the Fenton's and the Halfa, the toll could have been worse. The evacuation was quick and rather organized that one would expect from frighten people, But they had faith in the Fenton's and their Half Ghost son. Especially after the Phantom Planet Episode just a year ago.

Danny tried to fight Undergrowth with his ice powers, but something wasn't right... The Ice wasn't effecting him like it did before...

Every blast, every punch, every ray, and even his trump card, His Ghost Wail, couldn't phase the power of the new Undergrowth...

The Ecto-skeleton was the only thing he could think of that could defeat Undergrowth, But Jazz Destroyed it.

All he could do now was make sure that everyone was safe. The exodus below was a depressing sight for Danny, who was usually spoiled to the sweet taste of victory. But the bitter taste of defeat lingered in mouth and in the air.

"Danny! What's the situation from above?" Sam asked him over his ear piece.

"The city is lost..." He said as reality hit the Sixteen year old boy, He had lost his home and everything around him.

"DANNY WATCH OUT!" Jazz screamed over the Radio as a large Black C-130 cargo plane stormed by the young Halfa with out any regard for him or the hell in front of them. Danny passed through the plane just with in the nick of time and saw two more Black C-130 fly buy in formation with the other that almost killed him. "The army? What are they doing here?!" Danny asked into the headset. "Those aren't army son, Those planes are mark less. Galloping Ghouls Danno! Those planes have ecto-readings off the charts!" Jack Fenton, Danny's Father, shouted over the radio. Suddenly the sound of helicopters thundered below him, Danny soared toward the hills where Sam and Tucker were busy let off the last of the refuges with Jazz in the specter speeder. The country outside of Amity park was pretty ruff since it lead into the mountains and the kids, as well as the refuges, could see the entangled city of Amity Park though the cloud of poison, As well as the horrific figure of Undergrowth. Tucker was gazing through a part of Fenton binoculars toward the roar of gas turbine engines in the distance and to his surprise to see at least nine or ten black choppers, six medium size ones with tiny wings on the side with rocket pods and missiles of some kind with a large cannon on the nose along with massive Bus sized twin rotor helicopters called "Chinooks".

"From what I can tell the big ones are Chinooks, but the ones in front are different." Tucker remarked to the others. "Danny, do you copy?" Maddie, his mother, called to him over the radio.

"Yes, I copy. What's with the helicopters?" Danny asked his mother. "Yeah and what are they? I can see the Chinooks, but what are the vulture one at the front?" Tuck butted in on the other line.

"Mark V Mi-24 Superhinds, Our newest addition to the fleet." A calm motherly voice said over the radio, "Beautiful birds of prey don't you think? He-he."

"Who was that?" Sam asked Danny.

"Mom, who was that?" Danny asked his mom.

"My Name is Claudia Marlin, Paladin Claudia Marlin of Gigagen's Paranormal research division. The Brimstone Society if you will." The woman replied. "Those planes and helo's are my pups of the Wolf brigade's 1st Air Group. I hope you don't mind that we steal your thunder young blood." Claudia said with calm, yet cheerful tone.

"Your not going to be doing much help one your goons go into that cloud of poison!" Danny protested. "Yeah! What are you going to do to that overgrown weed that Danny can't do!? The city is lost!" Jazz replied to the arrogant woman on the other end. Danny gave her a scowl, "Your army isn't going to survive..."

"Sit back and enjoy the show darlings," Claudia said confidently. "Colonel Dael do you copy?" She asked.

"I copy." A strong, yet youthful, male voice replied. The voice was southern in nature, but with a hint of German in his voice.

"Are you over the city yet?" Claudia asked him.

"Jawohl, I can see overgrowth or whatever his fucking name is. Ugly bastard eh?" Col. Dael replied calmly with a little chuckle. "Damn it Karl, What have I told you about profanity on the radio?" Claudia remarked annoyingly. "Ja Ja, don't cuss on the radio and all that." Karl said in a sarcastic tone. "Dropping in five, Dael out."

Danny and his friends looked into the sky and watched as the C-130's and Choppers flew into the urban jungle that Undergrowth had created. "Those planes have something under there wings, I wonder what they are." Sam asked Tucker. Tucker looked at the black planes and saw two large containers on the wings of each plane, The C-130's broke off from one another in the form of an arrow head and dropped one of the containers on the edges of the city. The lead dropped it's two on Undergrowth himself. The containers released large white clouds above the city that lingered with in the nerve gas that Undergrowth's Angel trumpets spewed into the air.

"Tucker do you know what they are..." Jazz asked tucker before massive explosions thundered above the ciyt.

"Their nuking the city!" Jazz shouted in terror.

"No! Look at the clouds! Those are Fuel-Air bombs!" Tucker yelled as he pointed at the yellowish color of the explosions. "They are sucking all the poison into the air and burning it!"

"The roots are burning too! I'm going in!" Danny yelled as he flew toward the city to confront Undergrowth with the Super hind gunships. The pilots and door gunners of the gunships waved at Danny as they flew toward the city. Danny was a little uncomfortable with these guys, something didn't seem right. But he was kind of happy to have some backup with him, especially the firepower that these gunships were packing.

"Sterilization complete, Commence airborne operation." A pilot with a thick Russian accent called over the radio. "Positiv!" A German pilot replied. Danny watched as the Three C-130's rejoined each other in an arrow formation above the city.

* * *

Inside each of the C-130's were a companies worth of the battle harden warriors of the Wolf brigade's 6th Battalion, The infamous Vulture gruppe. The Vulture gruppe is known throughout the whole of Brimstone and Gigagen for their specialty as "Supernatural Crowd Control" with the use of Heavy weapons firing anti-ghost munitions, Iron bullets blessed with Holy Water. The trade mark of the Vultures were their Shock troops, Heavily armored battle troops clad in Kampfküriss Typ 92 Ausf.V "Helghast" Power Armor and brandishing MG-42 heavy machine guns, along with the merciless brutality of its own troops against paranormal entities. The big guns, black armor, black uniforms, and the over all brutality of it soliders earned them the nickname of "The Black Hunters", a name that echoed through out the Paranormal world with both Fear and admiration, Terror and respect, and Scorn. Under the Command of Colonel Karl "Carolus" Dael, A former roadie, Decorated officer of the Estovakian army, turned Trump Card for the Order, The brimstone society, the Black hunters became the heavy hand for the order when magic and paranormal means proved worthless.

The Colonel was a tall man of twenty six with short thick brown hair, green eyes, Clean Goat-T, and medium build wearing a grey tunic and trousers tucked into a pair of Confederate officers boots, Black Trench coat, A light blue and white checkerboard scarf rapped around his neck and over his collar that bore the single oak leaves of a Estovakian Colonel, A black M43 field cap with sliver piping atop his head, and a sliver Mauser pistol on his hip. On his cap bore the alchemists symbol for Brimstone, a Lorraine cross crossed with the infinity symbol, cast from silver pinned on his cap and a badge with the same mark. Over the last four years, Karl has gone from a hick living in a trailer in rural New York state, To a solider fighting in a parallel world, and now to a full Colonel charge with the power of a far away dimension, The Black Sun Dimension, and used as a super weapon against the enemies of the mortal world.

The Black Sun, an ancient symbol of Germanic paganism, or Schwatz Sonne or Sonnenrod (Sun wheel) as it is known, represents the virtues of triumph, life, goodness, and unity and centrality. The symbol also held a more supernatural meaning that only powerful droids and occult priests of all religions could understand... The power of the Black sun was housed with in special relics cast using the fire of the black sun itself and was given to a small circle of men deemed worthier of its light by these powerful priests, One of these relics belonged to a dear friend of the Colonel... A friend that died with a good heart in the end...

Pressing the relic against his heart, The Relic fused itself with Karl's heart and soul giving him the power to conger its might power at will. Giving him the strength, power, and might of a Demigod. But even a Demigod has it's weaknesses, The power of a Black Sun relic can kill it's wearer if the power is used to an extreme...

Charged with the power of the Black Sun, Karl was a force to be fear, even with out his battalion to back him up. But even the power housed with in his soul did not define him, His men knew this. Rumors spreed through the ranks that before Karl joined Brimstone, that he was in a romantic relationship with the Drummer from a Band called the "Hex Girls", some say he was married to that girl judging by the ring on his finger, but most didn't say anything and kept to themselves. For good reason, The Colonel never like being asked about the ring or about his life before Brimstone.

Behind the Colonel were the men of his beloved Battalion, one hundred and twenty eight out of the three hundred plus units in total for this operation at least. Twenty eight of which were apart of the Zauberei Korps (Sorcery Corps in german), The Paranormal detachment of Brimstone made purely out of Supernatural entities and beings. Most of them were Sorceress and witches, Like Their Commander Claudia Marlin, while sum were men and women charged with modest amounts of Black Sun energy to make them Super human, but not at the levels that their Black coated Colonel was at. The twenty eight member of the ZK were the lead units that were to assault Undergrowth, while the remaining men were to land via parachute on to the buildings near the beast to cover them with MG and rocket fire.

Karl turned to look at his troops one last time before the assault began. Their confidant faces warmed Karl's cold heart, as did the genuine cheeriness in their voices. Some were young men and women who came from far way lands to travel globe and grain the vast amount of riches that were promised to them by the Doctor for their service, others wanted to fight to protect their world from the evil of the unknown, while some joined for the same reason Karl did...

For a place to call home...

His troops were clad in pea-pattern camoflage uniforms, Paratrooper boots, and steel helmets, looking almost like German Fallschirmjagers (Paratroopers) to go along with their German theme. The 6th Battalion were recruited mostly from Belka, A country in the parallel version of earth that appeared to be like Germany in every way, and brought to his world after his return to this world. To remind them of home, Karl stuck to the theme and spoke mostly in German/Belkan in respect for their Fatherland. They, along with himself, wore the Belkan uniform with pride and still wore the Black, White, and yellow shield of Holy Belka on their helmets and sleeves. Most of the men cradled modernized FG-42 battle rifles with shorten barrels, black furniture, and tactical rails like modern assault rifles. A majority of the Vulture's weapons were of rebuilt and modernized world war two stock and chose to stick with the old gear even though a majority of Gigagen was armed with cutting edge Russian weapons like the AK-12 Assault Rifle, but chose to stick to their roots instead. The Witches and Sorceresses on the other hand wore the Maroon coats and riders boots of the Zauberei Korps, as well as the sliver broaches hanging around their necks by steel chains. They preferred to use their magic instead of guns and proved to be proficient in taking out the paranormal pretty easily, but still enjoy the thought of having the firepower an army behind them to keep the ash and trash off of their backs.

"Opening bay doors! Drop in sixty seconds!" The German pilot shouted over the intercom as the loading ramp of the C-130 began to drop to reveal a city covered in foliage, both green and alive, while others were burned to ashes. The Angel Trumpets were burning from the Themobaric drop and the defenses that the monster set up, mainly thorn covered vines, killer cacti, and man eating plants had suffered the same fate. Karl was worried about the abilities of the creatures own power of regeneration and the possibility that the Trumpets might come back from the burning, "Masks! I want everyone wearing a gas mask! If that gas enters your lungs you better start packing for Valhalla!" Karl shouted to his troops and into the radio. "Jawohl!" The men and the radio replied as they dawned their standard issue gas masks and respirators.

"Twenty seconds!" The intercom shouted.

"This is it comrades! Once more into the breech and then we can get some beers later, But first we need a little fire to warm us up. See you on the ground boys!" Karl said in low, but confidant tone as he stood near the open cargo bay door with his coat tails fluttering in the air.

"Macht Schnell!" Karl shouted as he jumped out of the plane with the ZK members. Behind the ZK's were the paratroopers with their chutes deploying just in time and guiding themselves toward near by buildings to take up firing positions. Karl and the ZK's didn't near parachutes, they were superhuman, and glided through the sky and jumped from roof top to roof top once they reached the ground.

"Flesh walkers!" Undergrowth hissed as he saw the incoming attack, launching waves of thorns into the sky like Flak to attack the paratroopers. Karl fired a blast of teal black sun energy from his hand burned the thorns before they touched his soliders. The ZK's began firing rays of their own at Undergrowth, Burning his arms to crisps.

"HAHA, Insulate humans! You can't defeat a being who can regenerate!" Undergrowth chuckled arrogantly as his arms returned and sent his man eating plants after the assault group. Karl drew his mauser pistol and fired at the on coming man eaters, tearing them to tatters and even wounding Undergrowth who let out a high pitched wail as the Iron bullets tore into his chest leaving permanent marks on his chest. "Ahhugh, You'll pay for that flesh walker!" He shouted as he launched another attack, this time at the lead who soiled his form.

Karl once again attacked with the holy iron of his mauser and the fire of black sun, carefully balancing his use of his own power. The ZK's broke off and hit the ground fighting, attacking the vines around Undergrowth to keep him on his toes. While the Vulture grenadiers mowed down his man eaters and cacti with Panzerschreck Anti-Tank weapons and MG-42 machine guns loaded with Iron and Incendiary bullets from the roof tops. Karl didn't break off and headed straight for undergrowth...

Undergrowth focused all his attention on Karl as his blind rage lead to the ZK's and Vultures withering him down. Karl holstered his pistol as the air raced past him at blistering speeds as he dived toward the massive botanical spirit like an arrow. With his arms out in front of him like a diver, he charged his body with the teal energy of the Black sun until an aura formed around him. Karl picked up speed as he took the form of a diver and the energy of the black sun made him into a human cruise missile. Undergrowth tried desperately to quarrel the relentless attack by Karl, but all his attacks were in vain as the human cruise missile cut through his chest and burrowed deep with in his vine like body.

"No! No! GET OUT OF ME HUMAN!" Undergrowth scream in terror as he ripped into his own body to pry Karl out of him. Suddenly teal fire shot from the grounds around him, burning his roots and vines to cinders. "AHHHUGH! NOT LIKE THIS!" Undergrowth plead in terror as the blaze engulfed him, cooking him from the inside out and sending him crashing into the ground with a thunderous crash that shook the city to its core. The sound of cheering filled the empty streets of Amity Park as the three hundred strong Gigagen force rejoiced as the monster lay dying in front of them. The Vulture troops and ZK's were not finished, they knew this from experience, and began to comb the city for any ruminates of Undergrowth and systematically destroy them before he rose again. The Super Hind Gunships joined them after the titanic struggle and gave support when ever they could, While the Chinooks began loading the remains of the mutated angel trumpets into their cargo bays.

* * *

Danny scanned the city for Undergrowth and found him laying in the park covered in grossest burns and raked with bullet holes. His right arm lay a few feet from his body, but did not rejoin with his body like Danny expected. It just laid on the scorched sod of the Amity City Park lifeless with sparse teal embers burning inside it. Undergrowth's bird like face was rattled with holes from the 8.8cm rockets and the blue flames from the lead attacker. One of his crimson and soulless eyes was missing and replaced with a burning pit of fire, the same fire that chard and blackened the rest of his body.

"Whoa, this is brutal..." Danny said in a disturbed tone as he gazed on the defeated and dying corpse of Undergrowth.

"Ghost child..." The tired and defeated voice of Undergrowth coughed to life.

"Undergrowth?" Danny asked, surprised that he was live. "Yes Ghost child, come closer..." Undergrowth groaned as he turned his head toward him, his eye filled with regret and hopelessness. Danny hesitantly walked toward the dying Undergrowth and the ghost gave a weak grin, "I never expected to go out this way... I expected for you to end my existence, not by his hands..." Undergrowth said in heavy breaths as he tried to fight his emanate fate.

"What do you mean "His hands"?" Danny asked Undergrowth as his breathing became less frequent, a sigh of a man on his last leg.

"Mithras..." Undergrowth whispered before his death...

"Mithras?" Danny asked as he gazed upon the corpse of Undergrowth. The ghost boy backed up from the body, overwhelmed by the brutality that surrounded them. It was to much for the sixteen year old, fighting against the supernatural abominations of the ghost zone was one thing, But the sadistic murder of a ghost, whether they were good or evil, was crossing the line. The corpse shook violently and the chest cavity of the plant ghost ripped open to revile a gas masked figure dressed in a black trench coat walking out of the body with out a scratch. Danny's ghost sense came to life as the figure turned his head and gazed at him.

The figure took off his gas mask to reveal a man in his late twenties with his eyes glowing from bright teal to dark green. Danny took an aggressive stance and spoke to the figure, "How could you do this to a ghost? Who are you?"

The figure smirked, "He was a threat and had to be put down." He remarked coldly. "I don't enjoy killing, But done in the name of the Gods and the Black sun, It is chore like any other. I can not lie though, I did enjoy the fight that this one gave." He chuckled.

The chuckling and nonchalant attitude of the black coated figure was unnerving to the veteran ghost fighter, "That doesn't answer my question, Who are you? Are you this Mithras character?" Danny demanded from the chuckling figure as his eyes turned green from ghostly anger.

"Hmm, Nice color for a halfa. I suggest that you calm yourself before you yourself face the same fate as this one." The figure said, pointing at the body of Undergrowth. His eyes began to glow teal and clenched his teeth anticipation for another battle against.

"Karl, quiet fucking around and return to the rally point. The Fenton's are will to help us get the portal working, so get over here and try not to kill their half breed son." Claudia called over the radio. The figure put his hand on the ear piece, "Jawohl, on the way Madam Marlin."

"Your that Colonel that lady was talking to..." Danny remarked as his eyes turned back to normal.

"Yes, Yes I am." Karl replied as he toned down his power. "We can talk formally when this is over, But now I bid you adieu Danny Phantom."

Karl leaped into the air and soared through the sky like a fighter plan toward the rally point, The former residence of Mayor Vlad Master... With Danny Phantom on his trail.


	2. Chapter 2: The Little Dark One

_**Hey guys, It's Dresner again. Has anyone else had an issue with the Story stats counter? I can't view anything since Dec 31st 2013, Weird eh? **_

_**Got a review from a reader named Kyla asking about Karl and Dusk, What I can say about that is Yes Karl still loves Dusk. The ring she gave him in Dawn is still with him and he refuses to talk about out of longing for her. This will be shown in later chapters as one of the Sub-Conflicts in the plot, as well as his struggle with his own humanity. **_

**_As promised in the Character listing, I will have Dani Phantom, The younger girl version of Danny, and she will make an appearance soon._**

**_All references to Cross the Rubicon with have a * after it's name and a # if it's from another writing of mine called Dawn._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing by my OC's and Grumpydrawer owns Gigagen and the Doctor._**

**_With Love ~Dresner_**

* * *

Chapter 2: Made of Stone

As Danny chased after the Sadistic Colonel, he looked down from the sky to see armed men cleaning up the streets and ushering the people of Amity Park back into their homes. They were a strange set dressed in a mix of modern battle gear and camouflage uniforms, some looking like they just jumped right out of world war two, and the same went for their weapons as well. From what he guess, the soliders were apart of the same outfit that Karl was apart of since they were not firing on him.

Karl and Danny soon crossed over to the more upscale side of Amity part were all the town's elite live in their multimillion dollar mansions. The homes of the elite were barley touched by the Undergrowth infestation, which was surprising to both Karl and Danny alike. Karl slowed down and allowed for Danny to catch up with him, "How did you enjoy the show Phantom?" Karl called to him with a chuckle.

"What? The way you wasted Undergrowth?" Danny said with disgust.

"Eh, That, the air show, and the saving of the city." Karl remarked arrogantly.

"If you have a beef with me, then spill it. I don't have to take crap from someone like you." Danny said firmly.

"If that is true then why didn't you kill that other half breed, Vlad, when you had the chance?" Karl asked him calmly.

Danny stopped in mid flight, as did Karl. "Whoa, How did you know about my fights with Plasmius?" Danny asked in a concerned tone.

Karl folded his arms together and shook his head, "Danny, Danny, Danny... The Order knew about Plasmius long before that dummkopf decided to hold the world by the balls." Karl remarked. One year ago, Vlad Masters, AKA Vlad Plasmius, took advantage of the world when a meteor made its way to destroy earth. He gave the world an ultimatum; Crown him the ruler of the world or parish. Vlad failed and it took the work of Danny Phantom to save the world, It worked and Vlad was last seen drift in space never to be seen again.

"We, Or should I say they, monitored your encounters with him. Gauging his power and giving me the information for the day that I would come to end his life once and for all, and planning for the day that you would go rogue." Karl reached into his coat and precede to pull out a pack of cigarettes for a quick smoke break.

"Damn shame though, I wanted to rip that pompous ass into a thousand pieces." Karl said as he took a long drag off his cigarette.

"At least that is something be can both agree on." Danny said calmly.

Karl chuckled, "Trust me Danny, their is a lot that we can agree on. Fight ghosts is just something that we have different tastes in."

"Let me introduce myself properly," Karl said as he let out his hand. "Colonel Karl Dael, Commander of the 6th Battalion "Vulture gruppe". Pleasure to meet you by the way."

"Danny Fenton or Phantom, which ever you want to call me." Danny said nervously as he shook the intimidating Colonel's hand. His handshake was firm, unlike Danny's, and the Colonel looked him in the eye while he did it. "Danny then, Lets keep it informal then. Just call me Karl." Karl said in a friendly tone.

"Uhhh ok..." Danny said before Karl's headset buzzed.

"Karl, Our favorite Paladin has just landed at the mansion. You better get here before he starts his usual rant about you." Claudia said in a motherly tone. Karl finished his smoke and tossed it toward the ground below. "Ja Ja, I'm on my way tell the pig to hold off on the comments before I get there. Over and out." Karl said with an annoyed look on his face.

"Great now the crippled bastard is here to ruin our progress." Karl said, vexed at the news of the Paladin Coalian's arrival. He took lead with Danny close behind, "Who's here Karl?" Danny asked as they closed in on the Mayor's mansion. The mansion was a rather medium sized manor with a coat of purple to make it stand out among the usual white mansions that dotted the upper class section of Amity park. Black BTR-80 Armored personal carries were parked with in the mansions gates and with Black and Camouflage uniformed troops patrolled around the grounds of the manor, brandishing AK-12 and OTs-14 assault rifles that glimmered in the sun light.

* * *

As they landed at the gates of the manor, Karl was saluted and asked about Danny. "Don't worry, He's the half ghost son of the scientists we are employing let him pass." Karl said calmly.

"As long as he powers down everything will be A OK, eh?" The Russian guard told him with AK-12 in hand. Karl looked at Danny, "You heard him Dan, power down. We're all friends here." Karl said coldly with a slight smile. Danny changed into his usual human form with blue jeans and white T-Shirt with Black hair, After his return to normal the Guard let him pass with out hesitation.

The two walked side by side toward the manor with the watchful eyes of the heavily armed guards trained primarily on him instead of the Colonel, Some of which greeted with Hello in either German or Russian followed with cheerful smile. The Colonel was popular among the guards from what Danny could tell and Karl seemed to enjoy it himself as well. "So who are you guys? Are you like apart of the army?"

The Colonel shook his head, "Nein, We are the Paramilitary arm of a society older than time itself." Karl replied. "We are the Brimstone Societies Paramilitary wing, The Wolf Brigade. Brimstone began as a resistance to an evil overlord, but soon transformed into an international organisation devoted to protecting the mortal world from the paranormal in it later reincarnation. The Brimstone of the twenty first century is the brain child of Doctor Alexsandr Magnason, The Founder and CEO of the Gigagen Corporation and father of the Order. We came to Amity Park for two reason; 1) To secure the new property of of Gigagen, The Axion Labs and 2) To begin Operation Blue."

The two reached the Door of the mayors manor and entered with out trouble. The interior of the manor was hollow and empty leaving the house vacant for the next mayor, an older one unlike the former Mayor who wasn't even old enough to drive. The home itself belonged to another mayor, Mayor Vlad Masters, but he turned out to be the cause of the phantom planet fiasco that almost destroyed the world and the collective will of the people of Amity Park sold his goods to fund the construction of the Danny Phantom statues that sit in Amity park as well as the capitals of every major nation on earth. A mixture of basic Gigagen Mercenaries and Vulture regulars comb the halls on guard duty, while some stood around a woman of forty with long black hair with streaks of grey clad in a maroon uniform with a peaked cap talking to a man dressed in an all red suit in a wheelchair in the massive den in the middle of the house.

The two turned to face Karl and Danny as they entered the empty room, the man in the chair gave a scowl to the black coated Colonel who returned with a cheery response. "Paladin Alexander Coelian, a pleasure to see you again. How are you sir?" Karl asked in a cheery voice.

"I see your pet is still alive, Paladin Marlin." The man in the Chair remarked.

"Of course I'm alive Paladin, I always live to fight another day." Karl said in a more serious and light hearted tone.

"One of the reasons why we keep you around, eh? Speaking of living, are your men still among the living?" Claudia asked Karl coolly to defuse the on coming tension between Coalian and Dael.

"Two shot out of the sky and another smashed to bits by his vines." Karl said regretfully.

"I'll send a squad out to retrieve and return them to Belka, Luckily the gate in Gatorsburg is now stabilized and under our control. So we can bury them in their home country. They were good men just like yourself." Claudia said to Karl with a heavy heart.

"Thank you Claudia… It would have meant a lot to them to hear you say that, but I'm not a saint." Karl said, Thankful that she would respect the wishes of his men.  
Karl and his men request that if they took casualties that the men of Belkan decent were to be buried in their homeland of Belka*. Some members of the order were a little skeptical at first, but Claudia changed the request into an order and with in a few weeks the ZK's managed to stabilize and control the Gatorsburg portal to the parallel world, giving the Order the ability to bury the dead volunteers from Belka*. The Doctor himself was skeptical, but later over looked the use of the portal because of vast amounts of gold, copper, and sliver retrieved from the war torn country of Osean* after the Verusean Continental War*, A massive pool of Volunteers and scientists, and even two arms industries set up with in Belka proved to yield both massive profits without pouring massive amounts of funding into it. Letting the Doctor to press on work with other projects (Read Badland Rock Concert by Grumpydrawer), so letting his employees be buried in their homeland was not an issue for him.

"You welcome Mirthras." Claudia said with a little chuckle, Karl gave a tiny grin and Danny looked to him in the realization of who he was. "Mirthras, Lord of ages, Your the Black hunter…" Danny said fearfully.

For three years, Karl had accumulated a reputation of brutality against ghosts. One of those most infamous being the slaying of Nocturne, The spirit of sleep, and Vortex, the spirit of weather. Rumors spread through the ghost zone about a black coated figure that held power beyond anything even the observes could fathom, the only name given to the figure was the name of a Roman god, Mithra, after his use of sun energy, More specifically that of the Black sun. The name was reviled by all ghosts and some, such as Skulker and Walker have vowed to catch.

Karl turned to him with the same tiny smirk, "Indeed, But I've never heard that name before. Though it is the name of my Battalion. Some just call me Karl, YOU, or in some case human. Mithras is a name I received at another time, but it seems even the names I got in war still haunt me." Karl placed his hand on Danny's shoulder, "Don't worry young one, I see good in you. The others… Well they made the mistake of underestimating me…" Karl said in a cold tone.

"At least you are under some kind of control now then you were then." Coalien said rudely as he wheeled himself toward the empty fireplace and ordered one of his soldiers to pull a loose brick. The fireplace soon rose to reveal an elevator leading toward the basement, "I'm sure we can make use of you once we get this portal operational."

Coalien, Karl, Danny, and Claudia entered the large elevator and descended down toward the basement laboratory that Vlad Master's tinkered with not only machines and gadgets, but also with the lives of ghosts and the Fenton family.

"You see Mr. Fenton," Coelien said in a respectful tone to Danny. "We in the Society have devoted to two objectives. To study the paranormal and to prevent it from destroy the mortal world. Amity Park is know through out my top scribes and scientists as a hot spot for supernatural activity, good, evil, and rarely neutral entities. We have watched you, your family, your foe, and even your friends to gather information to the cause for all of these paranormal incursions into our world. At first we noted that it was simple case of rotten luck, but soon we found another reason for there interloping other than the meddling of Vlad masters." Coelian paused as Claudia added on.

"The Sorcery Corps has found that Amity Park contains large amounts of Supernatural energy that draws ghosts here." Claudia explained as she give's Karl an annoyed look as he tries to light a cigarette in the elevator.

"What?" Karl asked defensively. Claudia chuckles and takes the cigarette out of his hand, placing it behind her ear.  
"Now where was I? Ah, yes. Amity Park is a feeding ground for spirits that strengthens their power, a sigh that their are doors to another world with in this city. Amity Park is the entrance door to the Zone!" Claudia said with excitement.

"You mean the Ghost Zone, right?" Danny asked as the woman's face lit up with excitement over the discovery.

"Ja, but that is our term for the Ghost Zone." Karl remarked as the elevator. "Sounds a little more badass, eh?" He chuckled.

"As Madam Marlin was saying," Coelian said with an annoyed tone. "Amity park holds both man made and natural portals to the Zone. We were hoping that our cooperation with your family would lead to us using their portal, But it seems that it was destroyed and a majority of the natural gates either destroyed or closed following the exodus after the return of King Pariah Dark. We have found ourselves in a dead end in achieving phase two of Operation Blue, until the Doctor gained a majority of Vladco and discovered the shipping manifests for several parts related to a project called "Dark Heart". Our scribes and field agents made their way to three of the locations where these parts were ship to. To our misfortune, two of the sights were destroyed, but one still remained."

The group exited the elevator to the sounds of progress, Drilling, wielding, and the usual barking of orders in a mix of Russian and German. Two figures, one large man in a orange jump suit and a woman in a blue jump suit, were calling out orders to the workers who were rushing to finish the large ring that went around the entrance to the portal. "Come on Ivan! Fritz is beating you!" Jack Fenton shouted to the Russian works so they would keep up with the German ones. "That's it men, change the ecto-filter or else it will go up like the rest!" Maddie Fenton told them in both German and Russian.

The Fenton's turned and, to the surprise of Karl and Claudia, Coelian was in ecstasy when he approached them. "Ah Madison Fenton, How is everything coming along on the portal?" Coelian asked in a optimistic voice completely out of character from his usual inpatient self.

"Wonderful sir, The portal is almost finished for Operation Blue." Maddie Fenton reported as she brought him a clip board with charts and status reports. "There was a small problem when restoring the system to working order, but it turned out to be a rather rewarding find."

"What might that be Mrs. Fenton?" Coelian inquired with a favorable gaze toward the beautiful brunette until Jack began to speak. "Turns out Vladdy…" Jack Fenton interjected with stumbled words, Trying not to remember his old friend Vlad before he was Plasmius. "I mean Plasmius, installed a built in GPS into his portal with various locations with in the Ghost Zone. Most note worthy being the location of the "Skeleton Key" and something called "The Keep"." Jack explained with a low and serious tone.

"Is it the Keep of Pariah?" Coelian asked with high hopes.

"We are not sure." Maddie Fenton replied. "The description is vague at best, but we can only hope for the best."

Coelian gave a long sigh and rolled his eyes, "Then we will have to send a recon team. Activate the portal and leave, This is Gigagen territory." He said bluntly with an icy tone. Jack and Maddie openned their mouths to protest, but decided to keep their thoughts to themselves as the black grips and barrels of the Guard's Kalashnikov rifles shined in the florescent light of the lab. "Your payment will be transphered to your bank account with in an hours time. If you work is worth noting, you can have your pick of anything the Axiom labs has to offer in the Anti-Ecto department. We have no use for them and neither does Gigagen." Coelian said rudely as the Fenton's grudgingly began to activate the port.

"Guards, bring out the test subject. I refuse to let anyone go though that portal unless we have confirmation that it is safe." Coelian called over his ear piece to the upper floor.

"Test subject? Why do you need a test subject to go through a ghost portal? I've done it before more than once." Danny asked the man in the wheel chair. Coelian scoffed, "What would a boy know about the ghost zone?"

"He's the Halfa, the one that save our planet a year ago." Karl replied, taking up for Danny.

"The half-breed reject? Bah! He mean's nothing to me or to the operation. You two, get him out of hear!" Coalian said with an arrogant scowl. The two guards grabbed Danny by the arms and took him to the elevator where they were met by two Black uniformed troops from Karl's outfit, Vulture group, with a white aired girl with green eyes dressed in a jump suit with a big DP emblem on her chest.

"Dani?" Danny asked as the guards took him into the elevator.

* * *

"Wonderful! Now we have a nice lab rat!" Coelian said with sadistic cheer in his voice. The cheer became louder and louder once the portal sparked to life and a large, green, swirling, vortex appeared at the gates of the portal. Maddie and Jack began system checks and tests. "Everything is normal and running at 100% across the board!" Jack said confidently as the two guards brought the little ghost girl in front of the trio as they stood in awe of the portals hypnotic swirls. Jack and Maddie looked at Coelian as he eyed the ghost girl like a hungry wolf looming over it's prey.

"Alexander," Maddie asked Coelian by first name, the only way to break him from his trance. "What is that ghost doing here? Why is she in iron chains?"

Coelian turned his head toward Maddie, still retaining the eyes of a wolf, staring at her with a sadistic grin, "No reason, we are just going to… Return her home. Isn't that right little ghost girl?"

"Help! Help me! Danny!" Dani screamed as the shackles cut into her skin.

"She's a little troubled…" Coelian said nonchalantly, waving his limp wrist into the air and bring his hands together into a pyramid. "But we take good care of our subjects. Now away with you, your of no use to us until we call upon you again. Their is a BTR waiting to take you to the lab." Coelian said as he shooed the Fenton's away. Jack grumbled and muttered to himself, but Maddie nodded and walked out of the lab with Jack.

"Paladin, wouldn't it make more sense to use a human subject?" Claudia inquired, just as the men reached down tho pick up the girl.

"Hmmm, your right." Coelian grunted. "Any volunteers?" He called out into the lab to the staff, no one answered.

"Well Madam, since your full of such good idea. Why not you?" Coelian suggested.

Claudia gave him a scowl, but nodded. Someone had to do it, After all it took Claudia a lot to convince the higher ups to allow her return to the Order. Can't hold on to luck for your whole life, especially in Brimstone.

"Now what do we do with her?" Coelian said, his sadistic grin returning to his face. "Hmmm, I wonder. Karl!" He called to Karl.

"Ja?" Karl asked in german.

"Take this one somewhere far and dispose of her, I'm getting wiry of these half-breed abominations of Vladimir Master's." Coelian said coldly as he turned toward the portal and gazed into it's beauty.

Karl looked down at the ghost girl with sympathetic eyes, but the rest of his face and body remained emotionless. "Ja, I'll take car of her…."

* * *

The two Vulture troops dragged Dani down a long hallway toward the storage half of the underground lab with Karl leading them with his Sliver plated Mauser pistol in hand.

"Let go of me! Let me go!" She shouted as she struggled to escape her Iron Chains as they burned into her skin, preventing her from using her powers.

"Shut up suka!" The Russian yelled as he and his friend dragged her down the hallway.

"This little shit is about to piss me off…" The other remarked as he placed his hand on his pistol holster.

"If you even breath the wrong way on her I'll make sure you suffer the same fate." Karl interjected in a cold monotone voice.

"But Comrade Colonel!" The russian protested.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Karl said as he stopped in place and cocked the hammer of his pistol, It's clicking echoing throughout the hallway. The Russian backed down and the trio continued on until they reached the end of the hall and entered a small room where Vlad Masters kept the Ecto-Filters for his Ghost portal.

The two soliders threw the bond ghost girl on the floor in front of Colonel Dael and took out there rifles in anticipation of execute the young Halfa. As the soliders loaded their weapons, Karl stood like a statue staring into the terror stricken eyes of the little halfa. He green eyes sparkling with tears as she plead to the men to spare her life. Something inside of Karl began to speak to him...  
"Stop... What your doing is wrong." A faint voice whispered to him as the barrels of his men's AK's broke his peripheral.

"Leave her to me," He said in the same unbroken monotone. "I want the honor of ending her..."  
The two men looked at each other with disappointed looks and shrugged as they holstered their weapons and stepped out of the room. Their it was just Dani and Karl...  
"Wha...Wha... What are you going to do to me?" Dani asked hesitantly as her fear surface.  
Karl only glared at her and pointed his pistol at her with no sigh of emotion on his face. The heavy framed pistol became heavy in his hand as he aimed for the ghost girls head and hesitantly squeezed the trigger. The green orbs that were the girls eyes began to water and fill with tears until she threw herself to his boots, begging for him to spare her.

"PLEASE! PLLLLEAASES!" She screamed and sobbed at his feet.

The sound of a gunshot thundered through the room, deafening Karl himself as he stood over Dani with his smoking gun...  
"You... Your..." Dani said as she looked at her broken shackles and chain on her legs. Karl shot the hand cuffs as well and the two stood face to face.

"Go." Karl said in the same cold monotone, "What are you waiting for?"

Dani could see the good in his eyes and gave a small thankful grin.

"I won't forget this Mithras." She said in a sweet grateful tone, Karl was surprised at the name she called him.

"Karl... Call me Karl... I'm sick of this title you ghost have given me. Till we meet again, Dani." Karl said waving off to her as she passed through the roof and out into the world above.

* * *

Karl and the guards exited the storage room with out a word spoken until they approached the main lab were the sight of Claudia cautiously edging toward the portal to the Zone.

"We're waiting Ma Chérie!" Coelian shouted in partisan french with a fake accent. Claudia began to grind her teeth as she tried to keep her words, as well as her will to strike him down, to herself. She stuck her hand our toward the portal, her hand shaking in fear of what would happen if the portal wasn't completely stable. Claudia took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.

"I hope she's alright." Karl said, worried for the safety of his partner and mentor Claudia.

Claudia brought Karl to Brimstone in hopes helping him control his powers, But soon it formed into an almost Brother and Sister like relationship, just like he had with her Daughter Thorn. She cared for Karl and tried her best to guide him in the right direction in the Order. Karl suspected that it was her motherly instants taking over and wanting to make up for missing out on eleven years of not raising her daughter. It annoyed him, but he learned to cope with it. Karl owed Claudia for getting him in the Order, even becoming her right hand like Beau was before he was killed during the Asylum raid by 5th Battalion Rogue's.* Coelian still argues to this day that Claudia is nothing but a traitor to the Order, the company, and the Doctor. One of the reasons why he wasn't killed after his recovery was because of the Axion Lab's purchase, a Purchase that was only done because of the promise of cloning machines.

Only the Doctor knows why this interested him at all...

For four years since they met in that Virginian antique store#, Karl has fought with her with out question. He thought of it as repaying her and her daughter for their generosity toward him, God knows he doesn't deserve it especially since the three years of Terror he caused in the service of the order. He cared for Claudia and treated her like she was family, He couldn't lose another...

"The Portal is clear. Is my transmission clear?" Claudia called over the radio.

"You are clear, what is your position?" Karl asked into his ear piece.

"Near a massive red castle, Looks like it's seen better days Carolus." Claudia said in awe.

"Pariah's Keep…" Coelian said in ecstasy, "Ready the exploration team and muster the Battalion! I want that Castle flying the Brimstone banner by sun set!" Coelian barked like a mad man.

* * *

Dani peered through the celling and watched as the intimidating shock troops lined up in formation, brisling with heavy weapons and supplies with hover dollies carrying more gear. Scientists dressed in long white coats with gas masks stood behind the black armored and uniformed troops of Vulture grippe, as well as the maroon clad ZK's witches who's magic aura's caused Dani to shiver nervously. The massive column of men and machines marched into the portal, but the man in the wheel chair and Karl stood outside of the portal.

"Be careful Karl, the zone is a dangerous place for a man such as yourself." Coelian warned him sarcastically.

Karl rolled his eyes and gave a tired sigh, "You underestimate me. What are you looking for at this fucking castle?"

"Relics that should be in the hands of responsible men such as myself, so that figures like Plasmius and rejects such as yourself don't get a hold of them." Coelian said contemptuously.

"The last thing we need is someone like you going rogue with relics of great power…"

Karl snorted and walked through the portal. Dani recognized what the red suited prick was hinting about...

"No… I have to warn him…" Dani said as she rushed through the portal into the Zone...

Alexander Coelian gave a wicked smile as his two rivals marched into a world of hell… The Zone.


	3. Chapter 3: Descending into Darkness

_**Another three days have past since I last updated and I've gotten two nice reviews from guest who enjoy my story, I'm glad to see Y'all like my work and It makes me smile every time I get a review from someone. Now we are going to kick off the story right and begin the plot. I Hope you enjoy the action and the little explanation to what happen to Dani after Phantom Planet.**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

The Zone was a strange world, like something out of a Monty python drug trip or a Beatles music video. A sky stained an inky green loomed over head with strange swirling clouds and doors leading to god know where. Around him and the Gigagen team were purple dead trees with ghostly ravens watching them intensely. The men held their weapons at the ready and scanned the empty sky above, fearful of attack from the unknown.

"Keep your fingers on ze trigger kamaraden, The fucking poltergeists live in this strange hell. So watch yourselves!" One of the Vulture troops told his fellow soliders as the group passed by a collection of trees. The ravens clacked and flew off as the troops drew closer toward a massive red castle with a skull shaped archway staring down at them from afar. Karl was in the middle between the forward fire team and the rest of the group behind him, "Claudia, do you copy?" Karl asked into his headset.

"Copy, I'm on top of the outer perimeter wall." Claudia responded with a wonder filled tone, "It's beautiful here, It reminds me of Castle Fortescu in Romania."

"Pshh, Romania? Reminds me of Neuschwanstein, A ghoulish rendition of it at best." Karl said contemptuously as he studied the red brick and mortar castle. "Bleh. This place looks like the home of satanic pop star." He chuckled as they reached the enormous castle.

Claudia jumped down from it's massive defensive wall to the ground where she met with the team. Claudia was a middle aged woman in her 40's with long black hair with streaks of grey. Her eyes were a shade of teal that seemed to sparkle like gemstones whose beauty could only be matched by her snow white complexion. She was Karl's mentor, friend, and partner in the professional sense of the word. Clad in a sharp maroon coat over a light blue puffy shirt with black pants tucked into a pair of knee high jack boots, the uniform of a ZK witch, Claudia appeared at home with in the confines of the ghost zone. For almost her entire life she has walked the fragile border between the divine and demonic, the Holy and the Forsaken, and even toyed with such forces that normal necromancers would one dream of in a state of drunkenness. Always fighting in a world that calmed to be peaceful, to protect the mortals from an immortal world like the Zone. But it seemed that this was the only place were peace was nothing but another day under the sun, or whatever gave this forsaken place light.

She took a deep breath as she backed away from the castle in awe of its stark and creepy beauty. "I don't know what to say Karl, I only see Romania in those towers." Claudia remarked on the towers of Pariah's keep. "Please, It screams Central European." Karl affirmed, "A rather ugly Central European at that, No wonder it was sent to this forsaken place. It's a black sheep."

"Save your intellectual remarks for the mortal world, You have a mission to complete!" Coelian scolded the two over the radio.

Claudia rolled her eyes, "There's a break in the defensive wall near here, It's the only way to get in this place besides jumping over the wall and I don't think the shock troops can do much with all that armor of theirs." Claudia said with a tired tone as she lead the way for the column. "Whatever that conniving cripple wants from this place it must be something big, especially if he has my battalion." Karl said with pride. "What is he expecting? Another Undergrowth or a Vortex?"

"Do you remember the last time someone came here looking for relics?" Claudia asked him.

"Is that all we're doing?" Karl asked sarcastically.

Karl and Alexander Coelian never trusted, or liked one another for that matter, since they met. Karl was the reason for Alexander for being in a wheel chair in the first place and nearly died from the assault, but lived on after the medical team sealed his wound and managed to connect the remains of his spine together with wire and artificial bone. The surgery did not prove as successful as the doctors hoped it would be, leading to Coelian's lower body permanently paralyzed. His hatred for Karl is well known among members of the order and Coelian has tried his damnedest to either dispose or shun Karl in anyway he can, but even sending him and his battalion on suicide missions has proven ineffective and slander has produced the same results. Karl sensed the hatred on his breath since he met Coelian in Verusea and has never gave a single thought about it. He knew from the moment he left Coelian in a pool of his own blood that he made an enemy that day, a powerful enemy. But that never bothered him our his battalion, They expected a suicide mission and welcomed death with open arms. They knew as well as Karl that if the mission order was signed by Alexander Coelian, that it had a hidden motive behind it which nearly always meant Karl himself being thrown once more into the gates of hell. He couldn't expect anything less from a man with the code name of "Cipher".

"I'm not sure," Claudia said unsure of herself, but quickly recovered confidence. "But what I do know is that the last fool who came here for relics brought the wrath of Pariah Dark back to life. So in case we make the same mistake, we will at least have a fighting chance against him. One of the reasons why we have my unit with us now and in the mortal world to close the gates so we aren't fighting him in the mortal world. The last thing we need is him escaping in Amity Park, especially since that Ecto-Skeleton is nothing but a pile of junk and cinders." Claudia said in a mix of confidence and contempt as they found the hole in the wall that lead inside the castle.

Karl ordered the Shock troops in first to clear the area, Kicking in doors, searching the upper floors, and into the dungeon for anything that was hostile.

"Herr Oberst (Colonel), we report no contact. The Keep is clear." One called into the radio.

"Wunderbar (Wonderful), set up defensive positions and inform Paladin Coelian of our progress. Hopefully he'll send a few of those hover vehicles the Fenton's made for us. No way are those hover sleds going to carry away the bounty we're going to take from this place eh?" Karl reported back with a chuckle as he gaze at the statues of skeleton soliders made out of jade and the paintings of distorted figures with powdered wigs on their heads.

"Your not here for pocket change Carolus," Coelian replied over the radio, "We're here for the greatest prize of all..."

"Ring of Rage and Crown of fire?" Claudia asked over the radio.

"No... Those are just toys compared to what lies with in the keep itself... I want the Black Heart... I want it..." Coelian said in a low, yet malevolent, eager tone.

"What is he talking about?" The confused Karl asked his mentor.

"Alexi wants us to find the Black Heart of Sigmund Dark, The Father of Pariah Dark..." Claudia replied nervously as the words of Coelian sent a chill racing down her spine. "That fool wants the Heart of the Ghost Lord..."

"You mean Sigmund the first?" Karl asked her with the same nervous tone.

Sigmund Dark, the Ghost Lord, was one of the first ghost to inhabit the Zone. The Sorcery Corps captured and interviewed/interrogated numerous ghosts who escaped the Zone during the intentional stages of Phase one of Operation Blue. The Intel gathered from older ghosts proved invaluable to the higher ups in the Brimstone hierarchy on the history of the Zone and it's various artifacts as well. Only one figure interested Brimstone and Coelian the most, The Lord of Ghosts, Sigmund Dark. In his reign over the Ghost Zone he proved to be a tyrant of the highest order, a title that was only surpassed by his son Pariah. No one knows how Sigmund was defeated, but rumor persisted that it was the work of a figure known only as "The Lord of Ages". This figure defeated Sigmund and ripped his black heart from his corpse and placed it with in the very castle where Pariah himself would rest with in the Coffin of Forever sleep. The Lord of ages was defeated by the Ghost Lord's Son with the power of the Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire, Relics formed from the very corpse of his father, and soon began a thousand year reign of terror that destroyed the Zone. Soon Pariah was defeated by ancient ghosts whose power proved greater than his Ring and Crown, imprisoning him in the sarcophagus where he laid at rest until the meddling of Vlad Plasmius and was only defeated by the quick thinking Halfa and advanced technology from the Fenton works.

"The one and only." Claudia said as they walked down the hallowed hallway toward the thrown room.

"No wonder he wants us here, besides wanting us dead..." Claudia said with a melancholy tone and a dark chuckle.

The gigantic doors to the great hall were destroyed and laid scattered on the floor before them. Large torches burned on the walls that illuminated the whole of crimson room with the skulls of defeat enemies plastering the walls. In the corner were the remains of a throne constructed out of bone and wood with a massive hole in the wall that lead to the chamber of the Coffin of forever sleep. "Looks like Pariah was a Norseman, Look at the way he built his throne." Karl remarked as he gazed upon the four horns on the throne.

"Must have been, but that sarcophagus is a different story." Claudia replied as the men marched through the hole in the wall and fanned out to clear the chamber. The scientists joined the fire team and began to scan the walls and set up their gear with in the chamber. The witches joined the scientists, along with conflicting methods of searching for Sigmund's Heart.

"Karl," Claudia told him as they entered the great hall of the sarcophagus. "I'm going to need you to watch for the transports."

Karl smirked, "You think I'm going to break something Claudia?"

Claudia rolled her eyes, "Maybe or maybe not, but someone has to watch out for any rogues that might be gallivanting near here. Take up a position and stand guard until then." Claudia told him as she joined the search party.

Karl rolled his eyes and walked out of the great hall to explore the castle. It was rather homey for him, a little over done with use of red brick and mortar, but none the less, it was beautiful. Some of his men were busy patrolling down the halls, some were searching for anything worth bring back, while others gathered around and spoke of their families, their children, and some about their many loves in their lives. Brimstone may demand that they throw away their former lives to fight for the good of humanity, but humans can never throw away the memories and the moments that shaped their lives.

Karl couldn't let go of his past either, maybe some of it, but not all of it. Coming from nothing had it's perks, having nothing makes you appreciate everything you have including the loves in your life. Not a moment went by with him thinking about the young blonde drummer he met in the filling station who took home, not with promise of having sex with her, but as a person who need help. The moments he shared with her would stay with him, and even haunt him, for the rest of his life. Her name was Muffy "Dusk" St. James and she changed his life forever... The dream like memories cut into his soul like sword through his chest and he kicked himself every time he remembered those dark black eyes of hers.

He shut his eyes and shook his head violently until the image of her face disappeared from his mind, "I need to go outside and have a smoke or two." Karl said with a sad tone as he walked up the stairs and out the door toward one of the many defensive walls the surround the castle.

* * *

Dani could see the castle in the distance, as well as the glowing red lenses of the armored shock troops patrolling on the walls of Pariahs Keep. She landed on the stone path and began to make her way to the Keep with the Ravens gazing down on her with empty red eyes as she drew closer.

Danielle, or Dani, was not a regular human, but a clone created by Vladimir Masters from the DNA from Danny Phantom. The cloning process proved to be flawed as his clone became female, younger, and still as unstable as his other failed experiments, but none the less he used her to attack Danny. It fail, as did all his plans, and Dani soon went on her own. Though her human form was stable, her ghost form was not and began to eat away at her until Masters tried to capture her with the use of, Now mercenary, Valerie Grey so he could find out why she lasted so long without melting into a puddle of green goo. His incompetence lead to her stabilization, allowing her to use her ghost powers with impunity and even aiding her "Cosine" Danny save the world during the "Phantom Planet Incident". Going by the name of Dani Phantom, the young ghost girl traveled across the country to find her place in this world. Even though she was only fourteen, Dani was still a naive and childish with no sense of responsibility or purpose. Leading to her becoming a Wanderer, a lone traveler, and soon led to her capture by Brimstone agents in Colorado at one of the former residences of her "Father" Vladimir Masters after the property was seized by Gigagen and taken to a facility near Amity Park. The guards showed some mercy because of how young she was and some would even give her little bars of chocolate or a bottle of cola. The cell was lined with iron making it impossible to escape, but she made due with it.

When the guards spoke of Amity Park, a spark of hope burned into a fire of happiness. She remembers an older woman with black hair streaked with grey and beautiful teal eyes coming to her cell and leading her to the APC that would take her to Amity Park for some reason. She remembers her sweet voice when the woman called her "Honey" and "Sweetie" before the doors closed shut for what seemed to be an eternity until the guard dragged her out of the BTR...

Karl speared her life and let her go... She would never forget what he did for her.

The sound of engines caught her attention and Dani soon rendered herself invisible just as three black ships, similar to the Specter speeder but painted black with two door mounted machine guns and larger than the original, flew over head and landed at the gates of Pariah's Keep. She stayed invisible as she slowly flew toward the main defensive wall where she watched as more white clad scientists walked out of the Ships while others unloaded machines, censors, and crates of some kind from their cargo bays.

She turned around and she could see the opposing figure of Karl leaning against a wall smoking a cigarette with a slight grin on his face.

"I can see you little dark one," Karl said as he took a long puff from his cigarette, the small ember illuminating in the darkness against the bill of his cap to reveal his face. Dani reversed to her tangible form, "How could you see me? I was invisible!" She asked in surprise.

"Age has it's perks, Aura sense is one of them." Karl said as he changed his eyes to bright teal and back to green. "What are you doing here little ghost girl?" He asked in a kind tone.

"To warn you! That guy in the wheelchair is up to no good!" She tried to warn him.

"You think I didn't know he would try to kill me, Please." Karl said with a slight chuckle. "He's tried it before, many times. But failed then and whatever he has now will fail as well."

Karl finished his cigarette and crushed it beneath his boot, "Walk with me, but stay invisible. Last thing I need is my boys wasting ammo on a little one like yourself." Karl said rudely as he walked toward the door. Dani rolled her eyes and followed the arrogant Karl as he walked down the hallway back to the grand hall.

"Aren't you at least wondering what else I might want to say?" Dani asked nagging.

"Not really, After all this has happen before." Karl said nonchalantly. "It's just another suicide mission, or at least it should be. It's kind of going along pretty smoothly."

"Another suicide mission?!" Dani shouted angry at him, "Do you even care that he's going to take the Ring and Crown?!"

"Do you even realize that we are here for something greater than that!?" Karl snapped back at her. "We are after the Heart of Sigmund Dark not some pathetic ring and crown..." Karl was cut off as an explosion rocked the castle foundation, sending a shock wave to thunder throughout the Keep and throwing him and Dani to the ground.

"SHIT!" Karl yelled as he stumbled to pick himself up. He placed his hand on his earpiece and called into the radio feverishly, "Is everyone OK?! What the hell was that?!"

"Oberst Dael! We are under attack!" A solider called frantically into the radio as gunfire echoed through the radio.

"From who dammit!? FROM WHO!?" Karl shouted as the transmission cut to static and another massive shock wave rocked the castle.

Karl grunted with rage and charged down the hallway with his eyes burning with the blue flame of the black sun as he made his way to the grand hall. The tearing of automatic fire from MG-42's and MP-40's pierced the air and became louder and louder as Dani and Karl reached the grand hall. A massive Norse god like figure in a black cape with a crown of burning fire stood a top the stairs where the coffin once was.

"Oh Mein Gott..." Karl said fearfully. "Pariah Dark has risen..."

Pariah Dark, The high master of the Ghost Zone and King of all ghosts, stood before the Brimstone team like a vengeful god among a world of nonbelievers who dare mock his name. He was a giant clad heavy armor with two green skulls on his shoulder plates, heavy iron boots, a face seemed to be carved of stone and missing an eye, horns sprouting out of his head with one broken in two, and wielding a massive mantle.

"Pitiful humans!" The king yelled as he shot a beam of red energy at the scientists, killing them instantly. "You can't stop a being of such power as I."

The King was then blindsided by blasts from Claudia and her witches from behind, throwing him down the stair and landing on members of the Gigagen team. "Keep him down girls!" Claudia shouted as her team launched attack after attack at the king to keep him distracted as scientists escaped. Pariah swatted one of the witches out of the air with his mantle and killed her along with another, leaving only Claudia to keep him busy.

"Stay back little one." Karl told Dani as he sprang into action and charged to aid Claudia in suppressing Pariah. Beams of pure energy shot from her hands toward the ghost king, but the king dodged her attack and snatched her from the air. The king's remaining eye charged with red energy and an evil grin appeared on his face, he was savoring the kill...

A swift sweep of Karl's charged leg broke his focus and his blast destroyed the coffin leaning on the wall… The force of his attack launched Karl against the wall, but quickly caught himself from the wall and back into the air to strike at Pariah once more. The king threw his mantle at the buying blue eyed attacker and stuck him down to the floor, but Karl quickly picked himself up and ran to attack again with more ferocity than before.

The king gave a scowl and called his mantle to him, Flying through the sky it struck Karl once again. But failed to bring him down as Karl attacked with flaming punches to his stone face. The King recognized the power of this one, He knew it well and knew how to defeat such a creature...

Pariah threw Claudia threw a wall and concentrated completely on Karl, even as bullets nipped at his back and feet.

"It's been awhile since we spared isn't Mithras?" Pariah asked the burning figure of Karl as he stood with clenched fists of teal fire and burning eyes.

"I've never spared with you." Karl remarked contemptuously.

"You did at one time, maybe not in this form or time." Pariah said in a dark tone, "No matter… I know how to fight those from the Black sun." Pariah launched himself toward Karl and with one massive strike to the chest with his left hand, knocked the wind out of Karl and on to the ground below.

"I had many of the Black sun come to challenge me, those who did put up a tremendous high. But all failed in the end…" He proclaimed as he walked down the steps toward Karl.

Karl struggled to get up from the floor, but he felt as if all the energy in his body was drained from. He placed his hand over his heart to feel the scar that the Black Sun relic burned into his flesh, but soon threw his hand off of his chest as if he was burned or bitten. Barely able to pick himself up, Karl drew his pistol and fired at Pariah in a vain attempt to save himself.

"Foolish child, You can't harm me with your harden iron." Pariah shouted as Karl's bullets bounced off of him until Karl's gun ran dry. "Out of bullets, Mithras?!" Pariah shouted as he drew closer with every fiery step. "Give up Mithras, we know how this will end. It happened over four thousand years ago…" He said as he loomed over Karl in a cold and calculated tone as he bent over to the wounded Colonel. "And I have longed for you to return so that I may slay you once again…"

"Hey, svoloch!" A woman called in russian to the Ghost king.

The King turned to face the door and soon saw himself staring down three barrels of 8.8cm RPzB 54 Panzerschreck Anti-Tank Launchers with a wounded Claudia commanding the rocket teams.

"FIRE!" She screamed as three 88mm Rockets flew out of their launchers and threw the Ghost king across the room and threw the wall behind him. Dani, Claudia, and the Vulture troops ran to grab their fallen comrade and to their surprise to see him still alive after the massive pummeling he received at the hands of Pariah Dark. They didn't say a word to him or Dani as she and Claudia threw him over their shoulders and ran out of the Keep as fast as they could toward the ships.

Reaching the ships, Claudia began ordering men to set up a defense to protect the scientists as they loaded their gear into the ships. But that was cut short...

Pariah broke threw the roof of his castle and grew to the size of a giant, "NO ONE HUMILIATES ME! PARISH HUMANS!" He proclaimed to the heavens as he burned everyone below him with red ecto-energy. Claudia managed to throw out a temporary shield over Karl, Dani, and herself and managed to hold it as the power of Pariah grew stronger and stronger.

"You! Dark one!" She called to Dani as she struggled to hold up the shield. "Take Karl far away from here! Get him somewhere safe and tell him to meet us at Area B7Z, He'll know when you tell him!" She shouted to him as Pariah's attack ceased.

"GO! GO! GO LITTLE DARK ONE! GO!" Claudia shouted as she launched one more attack at Pariah to blind him.

Dani turned intangible and passed through the stone and out into the depths of the Zone, Carrying the wounded and unconscious Karl on her back as she flew away from the hell around her.

She turned around for a brief moment to see the Witch fly toward the portal… With Pariah close on her tail...

* * *

Claudia screamed through the portal and crashed into a collection of machinery with in the former lab of Vlad Masters, covered in burns and bleed heavily she ran to the control board to shut the portal. Coelian acted quickly and shut the portal behind her before the guards came to her aid. A wicked smile covered Coelian's face as her wheeled himself toward the wounded Claudia, "I see you meet Pariah Dark." He remarked coldly.

"YOU BASTARD!" Claudia screamed at him as the guards switched from helping her to restraining her. "YOU DID THIS! I KNOW YOU DID!" She wailed until a swift rifle butt to the face quailed any fight left in her battered body, knocking her unconscious.

"Take her away, Far away." He told the guards with an evil grin as the guards left the Lab with a new prisoner.

He kept his back facing the elevator as the guard ascended to the surface, his eyes lighting up with ecstasy at the thought that two of his main rivals with in the Order have been eliminated once and for all. A malevolent smile gripped his face as he stared at the closed ghost portal.

"Pariah has risen and Karl is no where to be seen." A voice reported to Coelian.

"Thank you… My dear friend…" Coelian told the ghostly voice. "What remains of the sorcery corps is acting on accordance with Case G29, The portals around the city and the few remaining in earth are now closed thanks to their efforts, and yours of course… Element 627, Ecto-raunim, Have trapped King, Karl, and all of the entities with in the Zone."

"What of the Fenton Family?" The Voice asked him.

"They are unaware of what is going on. Utterly and completely." Coelian reported to him. "You, My old friend, can begin again."


	4. Chapter 4: Behind the Curtain

_**How's the hell spawn of a Hurricane and a blizzard, the Polar Vortex, Treating everyone? For me it was 13 degrees XD **_

_**Wonderful weather! I HATE THE WIND IN THE WINTER! **_

_**Well Here is another chapter of D.O.D for you all and I hope you enjoy it R&R please**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

King Pariah Dark stood a top the defensive wall over looking the remains of Gigagen team as they laid on the ground mutilate and torn. Blood and oil fused together into ocean of crimson and raven black with islands of steal, microelectronics, and brain matter. The destruction blended beautifully with the anarchy of the ghost zone, but it's unruliness disgusted the King. He was king because he seized it from his dying father, Sigmund Dark, and from his mortal enemy Mithras. The king smiled at the defeat of this new foe, They fought bravely and sacrificed themselves with out cavil. He could still feel the iron fragments from the rockets burred deep with in his skin from the attack.

"They fought well, but in vain." He said with an arrogant smirk as he stared at the mangled corpses.

"My liege!" The dramatic voice of the Fright Knight called to king as he rode upon his steed, Nightmare, to the damaged Keep of Pariah Dark. "I came as soon as I felt your presents..."

"Ahh my trusted servant..." Pariah said with a grim and malevolent tone. "We must speak in private, Come." He ordered his faithful servant.

The Fright Knight was a figure to be reckoned with. Clad in black and sliver armor with a fiery purple mane and cape. On his hip was one of the most powerful relics in all of the Zone, The Soul Shredder. The Fright Knight described himself as the spirit of Halloween, a title that he expressed with grandeur in his poetry. He was brutal in battle and lived only to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. Though be maybe a Knight, he lives by no code of honor that held many knights. He was not chivalrous, nor was he honorable. His only honorable trait was his undying loyalty to Pariah Dark, The king of all ghosts. But he was none the less self serving...

As the Fright Knight dismounted his horse and followed his master down the hall, he began to see the trail of destruction left by his King. "Your enemies have fallen with ease my liege!" The Knight announced grandly.

"They fought well, unlike some." Pariah told him coldly.

"King Pariah, They are nothing but whelps to you! Mire peasants to your awesome might!" The Knight protested until his King gave a long cold sigh.

"Mithras has returned..." The King told his servant.

"HOW CAN THIS BE MY LORD!?" The Fright Knight exclaimed, "How could he return?!"

"He found a human, a rather persistent one at that." Pariah told him. "One with the power of the Black Sun..."

The Fright Knight paused and his eyes widen, "I... I thought they were all..."

"Eradicated? Alienated? Extinct?" Pariah asked his stunned servant. "I too thought the same, But it seems those relics escaped my clutches and have taken residents with in a human. That human is different from these pigs that came into my keep, This Human was a journeyman. I could tell by the way he fought. Unlike the ghost child, No... No this one was calculated and fast. Hitting him with the mantle did nothing to him, not even phase his stubborn mind. Even when I was close to defeating him, he fought on... Almost admirable in a way don't you think?" He asked his knight.

"Pariah... are you showing... Humility?" Fright Knight asked in surprise.

"No you fool, I'm admitting a simple fact." Pariah scold his servant. "The people of the Black Sun were the only people that my father ever struggled to defeat and the only people to raise a champion that could even stand up to him. One of the reasons why I personally exterminated them..."

Pariah stopped to look at a painting of a man who bared great resemblance to Ivan the Terrible, but with glowing red eyes and horns. A name plate at the bottom of the large painting read as such;

_**Sigmund the Great, Ruler of the Underworld, and Lord of all**_** Ghosts.**

His son, Pariah, placed his hand on the painting of his father. "It took the power of the Ring and Crown to kill the weaken warrior, but even the power of my father couldn't stop him. I need his power..." Pariah said in a longing tone as his hand formed into a fist.

"Does this mean we retrieve the..."

"Yes my loyal servant," Pariah said with a wicked smile as he placed his hand on the fright knights shoulder. "Retrieve Sigmund's Black Heart, So that I will rule with out question once again!" Pariah shouted with maniacal laughter as he sent his greatest warrior to do his bidding.

* * *

Clockwork watched as Pariah sent out the Fright Knight to retrieve the Heart of Sigmund Dark through one of the many portals he created. Clad in a violet cloaked ghost with a pale face and time staff, Clockwork is the master of time and one of the oldest ghosts in existence. Long ago, he and five other powerful ghosts locked pariah away with in the confines of the Coffin of Forever Sleep. He gave a scowl and turned the portal onto two more figures on the other side of the Zone.

There stood the little dark one, the clone of Danny Phantom, and a strange figure dressed in a black trench coat laying on the ground. Clockwork changed sides to get a better view at the coated fellow laying on the ground.

"Hmmmm, Could it be?" Clockwork asked himself as he closed in on the face as the figure woke up from his unconscious state. He looked into the eyes of the figure as Dani rapped herself around his neck, hugging him tightly in relief that he was alright.

"A Dael... Karl Dael." Clockwork said with a slight grin as he looked deeper into Karl's eyes. "Hmmm... You found the Sun earlier than I expected and have developed a rather impressive control over it, But your humanity is fading.." He said in his usually calm tone with a frown.

A knock on his door interrupted his observation, "Come in." He said as he watched the portal.

Two Observants appeared, Tall figures dressed pinkish robes and black capes with tall collars that cover their jar like heads that contained a single massive eye. The Obervants were "Watchers", beginnings with the ability to watch evens unfold with in all realms. "Great... Them again" Clockwork sighed to himself as the Observants walled through his doors and began their usual banter of protecting the time stream, But instead of their usual response of destroy him they surprised him with another answer.

"With Pariah's defeat at the hands of the halfa and now in the midst of his second awakening, we must take action before it is to late." One Observant told him.

"Observants? Taking action?" Clockwork said with a cool chuckle. "What do you suggest we do?"

"You have to strike at Pariah before Mithras killed his father. Killing him will halt the chaos and blood shed that is coming to our world." One told Clockwork.

"Trying to kill the Halfa in the past and present failed and what makes you think that attempting to do the same to Pariah in the past will be any different?" Clockwork scowled. "Danny has no ability to return here to save you, but their is someone that can." Clockwork turned back toward the portal and pointed at Karl as he sat on a rock in front of the younger Halfa.

* * *

Karl's head was aching, as was his entire body, from the beating given to him by the ghost king and the abuse that his powers did to him in the fight. Using his powers at that level would drain him completely and cause him to collapse from exhaustion. One of the reasons why he trained religiously with Firearms, Melee, and Hand to Hand techniques so that his power would not overwhelm him and drain all energy from him, leading to a painful death. Fighting against Undergrowth was easy because of how little Karl needed his power to cut through his armor and burn him down, about a 15% to 25% from his rough estimations, but Pariah was different... Karl's strikes had to come to at least 45% to 60% power to at least allow himself to walk afterwards. Anything Higher would have killed him...

Pariah's strikes from his mantle did nothing to Karl, but the blow to the chest. That single strong blow was enough to put him down... Hard.

He opened his coat to gaze at his scar from the medallion and to his surprise to see the face of the Ring of rage imprinted in the center of the sun wheel. "Fucking ring did this... Ahugh! It burns..." Karl said with a voice full of pain. Dani hesitated and wondered how she could help her friend, but he stopped and stood up quickly.

"Dark one, I have a..." Karl asked her before she phased threw him and appeared in front of him.

"My name is Danielle or Dani, with an I, not dark one and I have something to tell you." Dani corrected him, but he gave a stressful sigh.

"Alright Dani, Now that we have figured out your name. I have to get back to my men and warn the order about the ghost king before he reaches my world like he did before." Karl said in an urgent voice before Dani called to him, "There isn't a way back."

"What do you mean?" Karl asked her quickly.

"The portal is closed and so are the others." Dani replied sadly. "I saw the big portal close after that witch flew into it."

"Claudia flew into the portal? What about my men and the ships?" Karl asked coldly, fearing the worst in the back of his mind.

"They were... They were..." Dani hesitated as she tried to tell the anxious Karl as his eyes shifted from cold to worrisome, but his face stayed expressionless. "Wipe out... By Pariah... All of them..."

Karl gave the sarcastic chuckles of a dying man and shook his head from side to side. "No... Your.. Your just telling me a story." He said rejecting her words rudely. "Just like every little girl, your telling stories just to get attention!"

"The witch saved us from him and told me to tell you to go to some placed called Area B7Z or something." She said in a firm, yet regretful tone.

Karl shrugged in disillusion, but said nothing, turned away, and threw himself into the air. He levitated in midair with his back still turned to Dani. "It's a long way to B7Z." He said calmly, turning his head slightly without turning around. "Are you coming?"

"Why? So you can insult me? Your not my father!" Dani spat back childishly.

Karl rolled his eyes and shook his head side to side with a slight smile as he turned around to face her. "You remind me so much of... Well I can't say who, but all I can say is this. I'm sorry Danielle." Karl said, trying to make amends with the Little Dark One.

"Liar." Dani said, turning her back to him and pouting while crossing her arms. Karl chuckled and shook his head from side to side once more, "You remind me of my sister more and more, hell even a little bit of Dusk..."

Dani turned around and raised her eye brow, "Who's Dusk?" She asked him innocently. Karl sighed and knelled down to her height. Dani looked into Karl's eyes and saw something strange in his eyes, Remorse.

He hesitated and took a deep breath, "She... Well, it's a long story..." Karl told her with a small smile, happy to see that she was putting away her defensiveness. "It's a story I can tell you on the way to B7Z." Karl stood up and looked into the great unknown of the Zone before turning back to see a devious smirk on Danielle's face.

"Race ya!" Dani shouted as she flew into the zone at full speed. Karl laughed, "Your on Dark... I mean Dani!" He yelled in a joyful voice as he chased after the girl he called "The Little Dark One."

* * *

Clockwork and the Observers watched as Karl and Dani raced off through the Zone toward Area B7Z in the Northern half of the Zone, toward the ghost prison.

"Even with the immense power, he has yet to be corrupted as other humans have." An Observent said in shock.

"Unlike the last human..." The other remarked harshly.

"The other proved to be a worthy carrier in the end." Clockwork said calmly. "This one is still retains his humanity and he is of the Dael Blood."

"This can not be! The Eldest brother is in prison, the youngest sister is in Bayville New York, and the middle has..."

"Has sided with the Order. That, my guests, is Karl Dael." Clockwork told his guests and pointed at him once more with his staff as He and Dani flew through the Zone.

"Clockwork, trying to bring this... This... Half Breed!" Observent protested, before Clockwork turned to him with a scowl.

"It took a work of a Half Breed to save your skins on more than one account, must we revisit?" Clockwork asked sarcastically.

The two observers grunted grudgingly, "You may have a point... But bring back Mithras is only going to bring about more destruction and death! You must slay them both!"

"All you Observers do is Observe, only calling for action when you fail to see the inevitable." Clockwork told the incompetent observers as he switched the portal to the Fright Knight as he galloped on his mighty steed Nightmare. "Now, could you care to Observe the door?" Clockwork asked his unwanted guests. The Observerts faded away as Clockwork watched the Fright Knight with a small frown.

"My old friend, How far have you come?" Clockwork asked as he floated toward the door, grabbing a time median on his way out.

* * *

The fright knight landed his steed on what remained of the other halves of Pariah's once mighty castle. The east and west wings of Pariah's once might castle were severed from his keep after his defeat at the hands of seven ghost powerful ghost lords to prevent any foolish treasure hunter looking for Sigmund Dark's Black Heart. Sigmund's heart was torn from his body after his defeat by a great champion from a faraway land that Sigmund attempted to conquer, but failed. This great champion fused Sigmunds heart with in the Castles walls so that no one could ever retain power of such magnitude. But, Like Sigmund's campaign against the Thule people of the Black sun, it to failed...

From the body of Sigmund Dark, came the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire…. The Ring and Crown were given to his son, Pariah… The soon to be King of Ghosts, to defeat this champion, though this champion was weakened from his battle with Sigmund, It took everything Pariah had to kill this figure…

The arrogance of King Pariah lead to him abandoning the Black Heart of his father… A grave mistake that lead to two defeats leading to his incarceration with in the Coffin of Forever Sleep.

Not this time… Confronted with the idea of a second coming of Mithras, The Ghost King gave in to better judgement...

The remains of the East wing held the Heart, The Fright Knight knew this...

As he walked through the door, Clockwork appeared in front of the startled Knight.

"I see your still serving the highest bidder, Fright Knight." Clockwork said contemptuously to the Knight.

"The Highest bidder? Nay, I serve only King Pariah Dark, my Lord and Liege." The Fright Knight boasted as he pushed Clockwork aside and continued on through the castle. Clockwork's voice echoed through the hallowed halls of the abandon and destroyed wing of the severed castle, "You were always occupying yourself with delusions." Clockwork chuckled.

"And you were always meddling with others affairs with your own delusions." He spat back at Clockwork's voice as he neared the demolished half of the castle wing, toward a once great study. The great study bared resemblance to a grand library that was ripped asunder by an explosion. Bookshelves and books littered the floor, covered with burn marks and scorched black, brick and mortar dust coving what wasn't already blanketed by soot and ash, and in the corner was a massive fire place with painting of Sigmund Dark looming over head with his red eyes seeming to glow bright crimson. The Knight approached the fireplace, but was stopped by Clockwork who appeared in front of him.

"Delusions? You bare the title of a Knight, yet you betray both your former masters for selfish gain. Even if it was in a good cause." Clockwork told him. "You should have stayed with us, Fright Knight, you could have prevented this and you still can prevent this."

"Prevent what? The enviable?" The Fright Knight shouted. "Giving Pariah the Heart will give him all the power and more to finally rid the Zone of the unworthy and rule without question once again! He will give me my own Kingdom as a reward for my loyalty…"

"Are you sure about that, Old friend?" Clockwork asked him. "Remember who your speaking to… Unlike my employers, I'm not as short sighted or as foolish. I know your Past, Present, and Future…"

Fright Knight put his hand on his sword, but was stopped by Clockwork as he froze time and took his sword from him. "Still the one for theatrics aren't we?" Clockwork said with a snicker as he unfroze the time stream to see the cluelessness with in the fright knights eyes.

"Without your blade you are nothing, before you betray us you were something. Now look at you; A child chasing a dream that will send you to the very thing you relish in… A Nightmare." Clockwork shoved the Soul shredder back into the Knight hands and reached into the fire place.

Clutched in his hands was a white stone ruffly the size of an infant that glowed with red energy. "THE HEART!" The fright knight exclaimed as he reached for the glowing stone.

Clockwork pulled away from his grasp, "I know what will happen when I give this to you. I know your fate…"

"My fate? Do you mean my destiny!" The Knight shouted arrogantly as he snatched the stone from Clockwork's hands and ran off to his steed.

Clockwork shook his head in disappointment as his old friend ran away like a selfish child with a piece of candy. "I can only wish you the best and that he will spear your life, I can not say much for your master…"


	5. Chapter 5: Siren of the Soul

_**Once again I bring you another Chapter a little ahead of schedule, This one was fun to write because It brings me back to when I wrote Dusk. It has some caring moments that will **_**_foreshadow coming events, just like the last ones. But these are a little bit more personal, geared toward Ember and Karl. _**

**_I want to say thanks to Mattie for the review, I'm glad you enjoy my writing and I hope you enjoy another chapter :)_**

**_With Love ~Dresner_**

_**Also, I almost forgot, I'm a beta reader now so if you would like for me to help with your work or want to share Ideas. Please message me, I would love to hear from you!**_

* * *

Karl and Dani traveled across the zone with little to no difficulty, besides the threat from Pariah's skeleton hordes and feral ghosts. But mainly everything seemed to leave the two alone and were more concerned about escaping the Zone before Pariah began another reign of terror. The fighting and the long journey to Area B7Z brought the Little Dark One and the Black coated Karl closer together, Even stretching far enough for Dani to call him her brother and him to call him her his sister.

The two soon found a near by island to rest for awhile near a larger island with a stone skull at its center surrounded by a jungle.

"Hmmm, this looks like a nice spot of land." Karl remarked with wiry cheer as he spotted the Island in the distance. "Hope the bastards aren't stupid enough to come to skulkers isle."

"You know your talking about Skulker, right?" Dani said pessimistically.

"So what if he sucks at hunting ghosts, He still has enough fire power to match my half my battalion. No way Pariah's going to send his Skull and Bone's this far into the zone." Karl state confidently as they landed on soil ground for the first time in days. The tiny island was breath taking beautiful with massive trees that ripped into the dank green sky, exotic flowers of every shade imaginable in full bloom, soft grass that danced in the light wind, and a wondrous waterfall pouring into a large oasis. A sanctuary where the beaten, yet still confidant, Karl and the little dark one, Dani, could stay and lick their wounds from the defeat by the hands of the newly awaken Pariah in his own home. Even though days have past since then, Karl could not get over the fact that his men had praised and that he was bested by an arrogant ghost.

Karl jogged toward the Oasis, stripping off his tunic, coat, and cap, and dunked his head into the crystal clear water. He ran his hands threw his hair and scrubbed the water into his body to clean himself, as well as guzzle a stomachs worth of water to cool himself off. Dani walked toward him and gave a small smirk as he pulled his head from the oasis one last time. Karl was breathing heavily from the mix of flying, fighting, and carrying her when she needed to sleep. He even gave her the scarf Claudia gave to him as a sign of friendship between them, after all he did spare her and she returned the favor after Pariah awoke once again.

"You should feel this water, It's a gift from the gods, I know it is!" Karl said, exhausted from their long journey.

"I'm fine, I just want to sleep." Dani said as she rubbed her eyes and gave a yawn. Karl swept his hands on the soft grass and gave a warm sigh and a little chuckle, "Sure princess, I guess a napping after a long rest can really take a lot out of you eh? haha." He chuckled.

Dani rolled her eyes and walked toward a comfy spot under a willow tree near the water fall. Karl, on the other hand, shook his hair dry and threw on his uniform after a quick dip in the oasis and went for a walk to clear his head.

* * *

Ember McLain, The Rebellious Siren, flew near the island of her former lover Skulker. Her home was burned to the ground by Pariah's hordes and found herself a refuge with no where to go. The portals, all of them, were closed and their was no way out of the Zone. She kept thinking to herself that she could escape the wrath of the ghost king. Ember was a prime target because of her hand in helping the halfa before and that she was a singer, a rebellious singer that could turn both ghosts and others against Pariah. The attacked her home and chased her out before burning it to the ground….

Like the frighten girl she was in her mortal life on earth, she ran...

Far, Far, Far away…..

No one would take her though… Either everyone was gone or they despised her. Some she just refused out of pure hatred or arrogance. She tried going back to Skulker, but he disappeared on another vendetta against their enemy Danny Phantom. She couldn't blame him, she was planning on terrorizing the "Dipstick" as she called him just so she could get out of the Zone for awhile.

The rock star ran her hand through her fiery teal hair as she tried to think of a way out of the zone, but couldn't contain the fear with in her and started to look around for at least some place to hide from the hordes that hunted her. All seemed lost…

She was freaking out and in a panic, dived down to the nearest island she could find and took root with in the dense jungle in hopes that Pariah's Army were as dumb as they looked and wouldn't come to a little island such as this one.

The siren landed quickly and gazed into the green sky above in relief to see that she had escaped the hands of the ghost king…

Ember walked into the jungle with her guitar on her back to free her hands as she cut threw the brush with her fiery pony tail. The young Rockstar soon found a nice clearing with soft green grass leading to a beautiful oasis filled with crystal clear spring water flowing from a waterfall where a willow tree sat near by with large rocks laying under it. She took a deep breath and gave out a long, well deserved, tired sigh before walking toward the willow tree.

"I need to catch some Z's..." Ember's exhausted voice said as she pushed the branchlets aside. "What the? It's... Wait who is that?" She stuttered as she tried to figure out who the little girl with black hair was. It looked like the halfa, but younger, shorter, and a girl! As Ember tried to process the thoughts running through her mind, the heavy clicking of a fallen hammer on a pistol caught her attention, as did the hiss of burning embers blazing fire like teal hair against something. She turned around slowly with ice running down her spine expecting the worst, but, to her surprise, stood a tall man in a black trench coat with a black cap, smoking a cigarette, and holding an immaculate sliver plated pistol to her head.

* * *

"That, My dear, is my little sister." Karl told the teal haired inferno, "Now will you please..." Karl paused as the ghost girl turned around to reveal a beautiful pale skinned girl of about 19 with stunning green eyes, long fire like teal hair, dressed provocatively in black with awesome skull boots, and carrying a guitar on her back. The look on her face, the look of fear, scorn, and unease, reminded him of someone...

Someone close and dear to him...

Her purple lip stick and the heavy makeup brought back memories of a girl and her sisters...

Memories of a different, semi-simple, life...

"Wha... What are..." Karl stuttered, his hand shaking with the heavy pistol in hand and dropping his cigarette to the ground as his jaw dropped. "Dusk... Its..." Karl shut his eyes tight and shook his head until the image of Dusk in his mind faded away, but the ghost knocked him down to the ground with one heavy swing from her guitar.

"No one tells Ember McLain what to do," Ember boasted as she took her guitar in hand, "That goes double for some do-goodie ghost buster who beats down refugees for kicks!"

Karl managed to pick himself up and bit back at her harshly, " 'Do-goodie ghost buster?', 'Beats down refugees?' Oh Avril Lavigne, you don't know who your dealing with do you?" Karl taunted her as he clenched his fists and readied himself for a fight.

"_What the hell happened to me? I just… Froze… I saw her… I can't think of her… I CANT!" _Karl pleaded to himself in his mind as the ghost girl strung a few cords on her violet and electric blue guitar.

"Don't know, Don't care!" Ember shouted just as she threw her arm into the air for a power cord attack, but the two were intrepid by a massive roar of a hundreds of thousands of ghosts raced through the sky above. Karl looked toward the east to see a vast army of black skeletons clad in saxon armor, some flying on undead dragons, flew through the skies of the zone. Like a plague they attacked every island and burned it to the very foundation or simply destroyed it all together.

"Oh god…." Ember said as her fiery hair began to shrink in fear as the hoard surged toward Skulkers islands.

"We can finish this later!" Karl said, trying to sound cold as he picked up the rocker and took her under the willow tree to hide from the hoard.

"Hey what…" Karl covered her mouth with his hand, "Shhhh, if they hear you then we're dead. We can't fight off a hoard, not for long at least." Karl shh'ed her with a distressed look on his face as he peered passed the branchlets to see the black cloud of hellish demons attacked and annihilated Skulker's Isle with the combined power, turing Skulker's Island into a crimson inferno.

"Shit, those aren't the skull and bones we faced before." Karl remakes, remembering the green 'conscript' skeletons that he and Danielle annihilated with out trouble. "Looks like our time is a little short now, eh?" Karl asked the pale and irritated ghost girl. He took his hand off of her mouth and to his surprise she didn't scream, protest, or even try to kill him. She watched with terror in her eyes as the island burned to the ground in front of her.

"Nothing but ashes and embers…" Karl said coldly and the ashes disappeared into the zone.

The girl grunted and her emerald green eyes turned into crimson orbs of rage as her hair shoot into the sky, burning the willow tree to ash and took her guitar in hand as she shot into the sky to face the hoard.

* * *

"_Who was that guy?" _Ember asked herself as she flew toward the demonic skeletons. "_Who ever he was, He looked a little scared… Like he saw, He-he, a ghost!_"

She chuckled to herself as she neared the hoard as they burned down the home of her Ex-boyfriend Skulker.

"Hey! Bone for brains!" She shouted to the ghastly skeletons as they relished in the destruction. They turned to her with their burning crimson eyes trained on her.

"Heres a little ditty I call FUCK OFF!" Ember screamed as she unleashed a massive attack using her power cord to ripped the skeletons apart. It worked on the weaker, more numerous scrubs and conscripts, but from the cloud of bone dust came large skeletons clad in viking like battle gear with dark blue flame acting as skin. The beasts let out a ear shattering howl that snapped the strings on Embers guitar and causing her to be thrown through the air. The monsters soon rushed toward her and dealt a harsh blow to her, followed by two more who brutalized her with repeated blows until she was nothing but a battered hulk of her former self drifting in and out of conciseness.

The three ghosts gathered together for their final attack and stormed on toward the defeated Ember. She closed her eyes as everything went black around her...

* * *

Ember could barely understand what was going on… Everything was a blur to her and felt dream like… Every bit of her body was bruised and battered from the attack… She couldn't move, yet she was flying...

She turned her aching head to see the man that held her at gun point carrying her...

"Wha…" She tried to speak up, but the man calmly and gently brushed her locks aside and said.

"Shhh, Everything is going to be alright… Your safe now… No one can hurt you…" He said in a voice so soft that it made her quiver in her boots.

Ember couldn't believe this was happening. She, the all powerful siren of Rock & Roll and embodiment of defiance, was laying in the arms of some kind of solider… It confused and enraged her, but she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was… How caring his voice sounds when he hushed her. She tried to curse, but she was to weak and burred her head in his chest as he carried her like a bride as he flew through the zone.

"Who are you?" She asked in a sweet and pain stricken voice to the figure.

"Karl…" He replied calmly with a slight smile on his face as he looked into her eyes. "Und Du?" He asked her nervously in German.

"Ember… Ember McLain…" Ember replied with a smile as she passed out in his arms.

* * *

Karl smile grew large as he watched his new friend fall asleep in his arms. He turned his head to see Dani carrying Ember's guitar on her back, "I can't believe we saved her! She's an evil witch!" Dani protested, recalling faint memories of her from Danny's memories.

"I have got an eye for evil and she ain't it." Karl protested. "I scared her, hell anyone would attack someone if they pulled a gun on them!"

"But she tried to…" Dani tried to say something but Karl cut her off.

"Look, I know what I'm doing… She just… (Sigh) I can't say. But what we did was right, If we hadn't bush whacked those things then she would have been nothing but her names sake." Karl protested ardently in a low tone.

Danielle couldn't shake the bad feeling she got from Ember, Being a clone has it's pros and cons, one of which was the memories of how Ember tricked Danny to fall in love with Samantha so that she could rule the world, It may have lead to her "Cousin" falling in love for real with the girl in the future, but it was a dirty trick in Dani's mind. She didn't trust Ember, but she trusted Karl and hoped that he was making the right decision...

Something about his demeanor, his voice, and the way he carried her gave the little dark one a lot to ponder. The cold gaze of Karl had melted to reveal a tender side of him, but his face began to change as well as a cute and loving smile appeared on his face as he carried the knocked out siren.

"_She must remind him of that girl Dusk…"_ Dani thought to herself as she looked at Karl as he carried Ember with care.

_"Has to be her…" _


	6. Chapter 6: The Wish Granter

_**Hello readers, sorry for the long wait. Internet and over all tech issues have plagued this chapter. But this chapter is worth reading, I hope it is. Those who have read my other writing about Karl & Dusk, the Drummer from the Hex girl's, relationship will hate me after this one XD But It will all be explained in the up and coming 9th Chapter of this story. If it's confusing I'm sorry, but If you look through the last chapter and this one You'll see where the 9th Chapter is going to reveal about Why Karl does what he does.**_

_**As will some Danielle "Dani" Phantom fan's for the way Karl speaks to her near the end of this chapter.**_

_**Hoep you enjoy, R&R Please :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner **_

* * *

Clockwork watched as Karl carried Ember in his arms like a precious treasure, holding her with care and making sure she was comfortable. He could see a conflicting look on Karl's face as he cradled the comatose Ember Mclain.

"The boy appears to retain his humanity..." Clockwork said to the Observents who once again began their short sighted ramblings.

"It does not matter, Saving that siren means that he is as stupid as he looks. Who would save a siren?" The Observents replied rudely.

"He saved her life, just as he spared the Dark one's. What will it take to convince you fools otherwise?" Clockwork asked his annoying guests harshly.

"Simple!" They exclaimed, "Send the wish granter. If he can resist her charm and... Mmmmhmm Beauty, then he will be some what worthy to us..." One of the Observents became a little lustful as he thought of the green skinned wish granter.

"They are on their way to meet her as we speak." Clockwork told them. "Now on to a different subject, The subject of Mithras."

"We at the conical are still debating on the decision at the moment." The Observents said awkwardly.

"Do you mean Stalling? As many have done in the past?" Clockwork questioned them, But the Observents stonewalled him and dissipated once again.

Clockwork knew that the Observents saw the picture, but not the big picture as he saw it. To put it in his own words-

_"The Observants look at time like they are watching a parade; one thing after another, passing by in sequence right in front of them. I see the parade from above all the twists and turns that might...or might not, take."_

Their short shortsightedness, combined with their inability to think outside of the box, irritated him greatly. He was right about Danny when they sent him to kill him because of Dark Dan, now Dan sits in a Thermos in his study. He was right on more than one occasion on hundreds or even thousands of times over, but are only confined to their speculation. Clockwork was their trump card, their solider. When the Observants see cataclysmic events on the horizon they can chose whither or not to change it.

That is where Clockwork comes in...

With the ability to alter time, he acts as a hidden hand of change with in both the Mortal, ghost, and other worlds.

Clockwork flipped through the various area's of the Zone with his portal to see the situation more cleanly. With Karl, Dani, and Ember heading toward the Ghost prison, Area B7Z. Clockwork switched to a more calmer setting near by where the Genie ghost, Desiree, flew through the zone with out a care in the world. It was rather strange since everyone in the zone, besides himself and the bastard in the thermos, was panicking and trying to find away out of the Zone. All the portals in and out of the Zone were close, even the man made ones, and blocked off with a strange material that proved harmful to all ghosts.

It was a perfect storm...

The king has risen, The ghosts are trapped, and now the heart is in play… But Clockwork has an ace up his sleeve and one trump card that is about to come into play soon, He just needs to be proven worthy and the right motivation.

Flipping to the home of the ghost writer, clockwork watched intensely as both Karl and Dani along with Desiree made their way toward the home of one of his old friends...

* * *

Dani watched Karl with concern as he held Ember in his arms. She never liked Ember and could have cared less if those beasts devoured that witch, But Karl wouldn't have it and risked killing himself to save her.

She remembers the hatred that burned through his eyes as the fire with in him broke through his eyes and burned through his hands. Every strike, Every blow, and Every swipe resonated with Hate and contempt as he tore through the Despoiled Guardians, as they called the large and tougher skeletons. She watched him as he brutalized the Despoiled...

Ripping through them with his bare hands...

Tearing the spine out with a sadistic smile….

Their was no blood, which was fine with her, But the screaming… The terrible screaming...

The violent and sadistic smashing of the beasts was graphic for the young and innocent girl of fourteen, but it was Karl's sadist smile that shook her to the very core of her being...

_"How can someone kill with glee… Yet turn around and become the most loving and caring person on earth?"_ She thought to herself as she looked at the tenderness in his eyes as he looked at the comatose rockstar with the electric blue hair. Dani few closer to him and began to ask him a few questions.

"Karl, Whats going on with you? You haven't said anything since we left the island." Dani asked him, genuinely concerned for him. Karl said nothing. Dani gave a sigh and laid her eyes on Ember. Karl's eyes were heavy, tired, and, strangely, lonely...

"_He misses that Dusk girl, has to be..."_ Dani thought to herself. "_I have to know..."_

Before she could open her mouth, Karl flew toward a large mansion or library of some kind with a massive steel dome and stone centurion lions at its entrance. As he landed he marched through the door of the strange manor and started shouting, "Anyone here!?" The wind from the door flying open flew hundreds of papers into the air and rained down upon them like snow. He couldn't think clearly at all, even as the angry rantings of gray coated writer rang though the building.

Karl apologized as best as he could as he placed Ember in a chair and quickly rushed to pick up the man's papers, "I'm sorry, I'm very sorry good sir. But need help for my friend here..."

"Ember!" The voice of woman shout in shock. The writer and Karl turned around with papers in their hands as a green genie like ghost dressed in light blue and purple Arabian dress with ruby red eyes phased through the walls and rushed to the aid of the unconscious Ember as she sat in the chair.

"Honey! Your home!" The writer said with glee as he ran to the genie and kissed her on the cheek. "Not now my treasure, My friend is hurt..." She said as she inspected the wounds.

"Here sir, I'll fix these for you." Karl said as he took the papers from the writer hands and placed them on a desk to begin organizing them for him. The writer gave a surprising look at Karl as he began to sort his papers for him, "You don't really have to, but if you wish than you may." He said awkwardly as Dani flew in and gasped once again.

"Karl, what in the world are we doing here!? First Ember, now Desiree and the Ghost writer!? Danny is going to kill me if he hears about this!" Danielle gasped as she rushed in to see Desiree and the Ghost write huddled around Ember. "Who is that girl and why does she look so familiar and who's her friend? Were you having one of your weird parties again writer?!" Desiree sculled the writer

The Ghost Writer, One of the most powerful ghosts in the Zone when in position of his Key board, The newer model having the abilities of the infamous reality gauntlet and more, was a rather unknown ghost to some in the Zone if you can believe it. The writer reminded him a lot of his old Friend and comrade Ben Ravencroft with the black hair, glasses, and goat-T. He wore a purple overcoat over his grey suit with a grey scarf rapped around his neck kind of like how Karl had his but a little different. The file on The Writer, as Karl knew him, said he was incarcerated in the ghost prison, Area B7Z, for breaking the Christmas truce. The truce was a law followed by all ghosts, even by some of the paranormal members of the Brigade and the whole of the Sorcery Corps adhered to it with out question, that states that their will be no conflict between Paranormal entities for 24hrs, even those in the other levels of the underworld...  
But the writer, in his own way, decided to break the truce so that he could teach Danny Phantom, the original Halfa, a lesson about Christmas spirit, which was successful, but at high price...  
The Ghost writer's original keyboard was destroyed and he was thrown in prison for breaking the truce for unspecified amount of time, some say it was one hundred years others said an eternity. But by the looks of it he was released and managed to find a lover, The famed "Wish granter" Desiree. The file on Desiree was shrouded in mystery and wonder. No one in all of Brimstone could ever capture or interview her, her power was eminence and unpredictable, as was her anger when a man put a hand on her, whether it was in compassion or scorn. The female members were close to capturing her, but Desiree would usually escape or use her powers to get what she wanted. Some decided to stay away from her because of her ability to manipulate or trick others into making a wish, a wish that would usually end badly for the wisher...

"No! Not at all Desiree!" The writer protested as his lovers ruby red eyes burned with anger.

"Madam, If it mean anything..." Karl said calmly and politely as he finished sorting the writers papers. "I was not invited here and neither was my friend Danielle. We came here in hope of finding someone or something that can help my... Uhh friend here... She was attacked by Pariah's new goons, The despoiled as I call them." Karl voice was calm, respectful, and rather professional. Which surprised Dani as she was use to his mostly informal way of speaking, but she, along with Desiree, the shift in tone when he refereed to Ember. "They really did a number on her, but myself and Danielle changed that rather quickly. I do apologize for barging into your home Sir. Speaking of which, My name is Karl, Colonel Karl Dael of the Wolf Brigade, 6th Battalion Vulture Gruppe, and this Danielle "Dani" Phantom. Pleasure to meet you both." Karl let out his hand and shook the ghost writers hand firmly and shook Desiree's gently and even bowed, which made the genie ghost giggle a little.

"I admire your formality Colonel," Desiree said with admiration. "But their is no need for it as I was nothing but a call girl in my past life. I am Desiree, pleasure to meet you and your friend." Desiree said with a slight smile as she turned to tend to Ember.

"I see she tried to take on the minions of Sigmund Dark." She said with a frown as she saw the burn marks and cuts in her skin from the Despoiled. "By the mercy of the gods, We're finished..."

"Do you mean Pariah found it?" The writer asked gravely.

"Indeed, Pariah Dark has became one with Black Heart of Sigmund Dark." Desiree replied sadly.

"What's going on? I know Pariah has the heart, I mean just look at the crimson and black skeletons running around, but what else is going on? Ember was running from those things and so were a few others we found in our travels. Are we in the middle of an exodus?" Karl asked the Wish granter.

Desiree sigh, "Unfortunately we are, This is the second time Pariah has risen but the first time with his fathers heart." She replied with fearfully. "I remember Sigmund Dark, The cruel and heartless tyrant. But I remember another side of him... I remember the calm and caring Sigmund, before his wife found out about our little "Altercations" and put me in a forsaken bottle of all things. But I digress, his heart was his power and his power was his poison. With his black heart he conquered with out question, until a figure known as "The Lord of Ages" defeated him some how and ripped his heart out. Now that his son has fused himself with Sigmund's heart he must have closed all the portals out of the Zone. There is nothing we can do."

"Wait, aren't you the Wish Granter?" Karl asked her, "The all powerful Desiree with the ability to grant anyone's great desire?"

Desiree blushed, "Yes, but I do not like the name Wish Granter." She replied. "Thanks to my lovely husband I am now able to grant wishes at will." Desiree said as her and the writer took each others hands and kissed one another.

"Then that means you can heal my Du.. Ember... I mean uhh um.." Karl shuddered as he bit his tongue.

Desiree laughed, but soon it and a frown came on her face. "I am sorry Colonel, but I must warn you about my powers. They have a price..."

"Anything! I just want her to be alright..." Karl said in a hopeful tone. "Whatever it is, It will be worth it."

Danielle's arms were crossed and a annoyed look on her face appeared, _"Why is he helping the ghouls that attack my cousin? They're just going to betray him! Their pure evil! Only a idiot would trust them!"_ She thought to herself as she saw Karl begging to Desiree to help Ember.

"I'm sorry Karl, But I can't let my power get the better of me. Your a nice young man and I don't want to have something awful happen to you." Desiree replied. "I could write a story to help you find a way to help her, but It doesn't look like shes going to make it any further than just that lounge chair." The writer replied woefully as he picked up what reminded of Ember's hair.

"Those Despoiled must have sucked the life out of her with every blow, just look how short her pony tail is." Karl remarked in a fearful tone as Ember's hair shorten to necks length.

"Her name isn't just a fancy title you know." The writer told him.

"My husband is right, Ember's soul is the fire that makes her ponytail." Desiree explained. "She is a wild fire burning in a dark world, the last light of happiness and youth in the kingdom of Darkness that is the Zone. Losing her ponytail may take away her powers, but that combined with the level abuse she took will kill her..."

"You mean... Her spirit could die?" Karl asked in a low, almost scared and child like, voice.

Desiree nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder as Karl fought with every fiber of his being to keep himself from tearing up. Karl picked up the coma induced Ember and laid her against him in the chair and began to hold her tightly. He ran his fingers through her hair with such care that it made Desiree blush at the mire sight of it.

The file on Ember was small, only giving details on her powers and her musical career. One song that Ember performed was known as "Remember", a song that Karl could play on the guitar and could sing decently. He hmmm'ed a few bars of the song into the ear of the girl and began to sing her song.

**_Your life goes on without me_**  
**_My life, a losing game_**  
**_But you should, you should not doubt me_**  
**_You will remember my name_**

**_Oh, Ember, you will remember_**  
**_Ember, one thing remains_**  
**_Oh, Ember, so warm and tender_**  
**_You will remember my name_**

Karl sang as best as he could before tears began to drip from his face and onto the ghost girls, who's make up began to run down her face. Desiree watched with pity as the strong, almost stone like, figure in the black coat and cap broke down in front of her, her husband, and his friend Danielle. Dani walked over to them and was shocked to see the calm and collective Karl crying... Crying! An Emotion that wasn't happy or his usually calm self, but a sad and almost regretful Karl..

As the song finished and the last of the pony tail faded away, He kissed her on the lips warmly and gently placed her on the couch near the chair. With a heavy heart, Karl turned to the trio and told them "She has passed... She's... Gone..."

* * *

Karl began to turn pale, paler than usual, with his hands placed over his face. Dani sat next to him hugged in an attempt to make him feel better, But Karl stayed quiet.

"Karl please don't be like this... I'm sorry about Ember, but she's in a better place..." Dani told him. "Look, we can't do anything. She's gone Karl..."

"No... No she isn't..." Karl told her. "Ember isn't gone, not yet..." Karl stood up from the couch and took off the ring Dusk gave to him on their anniversary.

"Claudia taught me about the human spirit in my years with the Order. The only way to bring a ghost back to life after it's passing is to give the spirit a piece of yourself... But it must be a pure piece of yourself... A piece that you must give up without cavil... Like giving your life to save a friend... or a lover..."

He placed it in his hand and began to silently speak in Celtic-

* * *

**_We bathe your palms_**  
**_In the showers of wine,_**  
**_In the crook of the kindling,_**  
**_In the seven elements,_**  
**_In the sap of the tree,_**  
**_In the milk of honey,_**

**_We place nine pure, choice gifts_**  
**_In your clear beloved face:_**

**_The gift of form,_**  
**_The gift of voice,_**  
**_The gift of fortune,_**  
**_The gift of goodness,_**  
**_The gift of eminence,_**  
**_The gift of charity,_**  
**_The gift of integrity,_**  
**_The gift of true nobility,_**  
**_The gift of apt speech._**

* * *

The Celtic prayer turned the ring into a small orb of blue flame, like that of Ember's hair, and placed it between her eyes. The orb passed through her and became one with Ember. Karl cradled Ember in his arms gently as the her hair began to grow into a beautiful, long, and lively fiery pony tail; She was reborn.

"I give to you the gift of life. From my own soul I give you a piece of my heart..." Karl said in a sad, yet prideful voice as he kissed the ghost girl on the lips one last time...

"Wha? What? What Happen?" Ember said as she opened her eyes to see Karl holding her like a bride in his arms and the sight of the Ghost writer, Her friend Desiree, and that little halfa. She blushed heavily in embarrassment when she found herself in the arms of the solider once again and quickly jumped out of his arms.

Desiree and the Ghost writer laughed at Ember, "Ember, Honey, The Colonel saved you. He gave you a piece of his heart and brought you back to life." Desiree told her. "He did it out of love for you Ember."

Ember turned to Karl who sat on the couch with a small and thankful smile on his face. She couldn't believe that this was the guy that saved her, a guy that pulled a gun on her. A guy that she tried to fight and yet he saved her, took care of her, and brought her back to life. It was all so sudden and Ember could barely process any of it in her still teenage mine. "_How could this stiff... A hot stiff... save me?_" Ember asked herself. _"Why would he do this? What's his angle?"_

Ember grabbed him by his coat and demanded to know why he saved her, It just didn't make any sense to her. Karl just looked at her with smile and said, "I did it because you deserve to live. Not because I want to play hero or to prove something to myself... I did it because it was right and I'm glad your alright..."

The way he said it made Ember feel terrible, Here she was threatening him and even before wanting to destroy him for pulling a gun on her. Yet he tried to protect her and even saved her, twice even!, without a second thought. She looked into his green eyes and could almost see his soul... It was burning bright teal and white and in the middle of the flame was a symbol she only recognized from a old book she found when she was alive, the Black Sun wheel, with in the flame... He wasn't after anything from her... His soul was an open book and it told her all she need to know, Karl saved her because he genially cared for her and maybe even... Loved her...

She let go of his coat and rapped herself around him, pleading for him to forgive her. But Karl took her chin gently and looked her in the eyes, "Their is no need to feel terrible Ember, I should be the one to apologize and I guess I you could call this a start." He said with a smile.

"Babypop, what you need is a thank you." Ember said as she pressed her lips against his. Karl was caught a little off guard and his eyes were still open as Ember kissed him, but soon he closed his eyes and accepted her kiss...

The Ghost Writer and Desiree gave a warm sigh at the beautiful moments taking place in front of them. "Me and my muse are going to leave you kids alone for a bit, Stay as long as you want." The writer told them as Ember and Karl broke off from their kiss with stars in their eyes.

"Thank you again Writer, I will make sure to find away to repay you and your wife for your troubles." Karl said with a thankful smile as the couple walked down the hall, leaving only the new couple and Dani alone in the large empty library.

Ember couldn't describe to herself what she was feeling, was it love, thanks, relieve that she was alive, or was it something more personal? She had her doubts, like every girl does about a guy, but something about his smile and the way he held her seemed to dash away those doubts. But she couldn't help but feel a little strange since she was technically evil and, from what she could tell, Karl was good. From his uniform he could tell he was in an army of some kind, as did the obvious rank of Colonel. Another strange thing about Karl was that he appeared to be only twenty six or twenty seven and to have the rank of Colonel, a high rank from what her teacher would rant about when she was in high school in Centralia, at such a young age showed that he was a committed solider. The medals on his chest showed that not only was he a committed solider, but a brave one. She felt safe in his strong arms as he held her close to him and the warm and caring smile eased her nerves as well. Karl was a strange figure, but that he came after her when she was near death, twice near death, spoke volumes for him and showed that he was not self-centered in anyway toward her. Ember loved him for what he did and maybe, loved him all together and he loved her back...

_"What a catch!"_ She thought to herself with an evil smile on her face.

Feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Karl gazed into the bright green eyes of the rockstar and could not contain his happiness to see that she was fine and well. The ritual he performed worked flawlessly, as he hoped it would. He poured a piece of his soul into the ring, a piece of his heart, and a fond and joyous memory that soon infused itself into the ring and became one with Ember. That piece was his love of the girl that changed his life... He sacrificed the pain of losing her... He let go of it all... And instead of giving Ember the pain, he gave her the joy of the love and the happiness that he gave to Dusk... Karl gave her compassion... He gave her love.

_"It work! It really work!" _Karl thought to himself with glee, but was soon interpreted by Dani who tugged at his coat rather forcefully.

"Karl, Can I talk to you?" She asked him an aggravated tone.

"Sure, what's up?" He asked her with a joyful heart.

Dani could see the happiness twinkling in the eyes of her friend, as well as the bright grin on Ember's face as she rapped her hand around Karl's. Dani gave a grown and replied, "In private, with out HER." **  
**

Karl rose his eye brow and looked over to Ember who gave a concerned look, but she let his hand go and kissed him on the cheek, "I'm going to chill with Des and the writer for a bit, I'll let you two chit-chat for a bit. See you in a little bit babypop." Ember said cutely as she walked down the hallway.

"What is your deal with Ember? She wouldn't have intruded on our conversation." Karl told Dani.

"Uhhh Yeah, she would have be cause this is about her." Dani said rudely. "What's YOUR deal with her? I thought you were obsessed about that Dusk girl? What happen to that huh?"

Karl gave a sigh and shook his head in disbelief, "Look none of this is your business, especially with things such as my love life."

"No! It is my business, because Ember McLAME is my cousins enemy!" Dani blurted out. "That weird stuff you did with that ring might have given her your powers and now she might, I don't know, suck all your powers out like a vampire and kill Danny!"

Karl rolled his eyes, "You don't know what I did, did you?"

Dani stuttered, "OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT YOU DID! You, uhhh ummm..."

"I took a treasure of mine and then a piece of my soul, a piece of Dusk and my love for her, and sacrificed it and turned it into one of the most purest energies on earth, Love. The second being Hate." Karl explained. "I gave up my love for Dusk, but it had died a long... Long time ago... I gave it up... I gave up that piece of myself, a piece of my soul, and gave it to Ember so that she may live on... Life-Force Conversion, or a Life giver spell."

"Whatever! You gave her your powers! You liar!" Dani shouted in confusion at what he tried to explain to her.

Karl grunted with frustration, "Such a child Dani. Can't you see that I save her? Of course you can't, because your to worried about who's good to Danny and who isn't!" Karl was getting angry at Dani's inability to see that Ember wasn't evil. "I'll tell you something Danielle! It doesn't matter who evil and who fucking isn't, what matters is who's with Pariah and who's against him! And it seems to me that She's in the same boat with the rest of the fucking zone! They hate Pariah!"

"BUT SHE COULD TURN ON US AFTER IT'S ALL OVER!" Dani shouted at him. "Your to busy being lovey dovey with Ember that your to stupid to see that she's going to turn on you after this is all over! Your being a fucking asshole Karl! A love sick asshole who just wants to bring his old fucking girlfriend eh? Is that it?!"

Karl couldn't hold back the hate he felt for Dani's words anymore and let it out... Hard...

"A fucking reject like you? Demanding me, ME A flesh and blood and true human, to tell you, a worthless reject clone... A CLONE! Some grand reason why I decided to bring Ember back to life? Is that it?! I FUCKING TOLD YOU! I BROUGHT HER BACK BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!" He yelled at her furiously.

"GET OUT OF MY DAMN SIGHT!" He shouted at her, his face burning red and his eyes turning teal with anger.

Dani's eyes filled with tears... He feelings shot to pieces and trampled on by someone she looked up to... Someone she would have gladly called her brother...

Dani threw Karl's scarf on to the ground in front of his feet and stormed off into the ghost zone without a word said...


	7. Chapter 7: The Method of the Mad

_**Great to post another chapter for all of your enjoyment :)**_

_**I got a review from Jess asking if Karl doesn't love Dusk. Well Jess, I will address that in another Chapter :) **_

_**Once again I want to give thanks to GrumpyDrawer for his creation of Gigagen and Please Check his stories out including Badlands Rock Concert. **_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Ember, Desiree, and the Ghost writer ran toward the sound of the commotion at the front of the manor to find Karl red faced with eyes glowing.

"Karl! What happen?" The writer asked him.

Karl grunted loudly and attempted to calm down, "Just! Aghh! Nothing, just nothing..." He said in a tired and angst voice with his fists clenched.

"Where's the little Halfa?" Desiree asked.

"She's gone, she flew away." Karl told her quickly and bluntly.

"Why?" She asked him in the same tone. Karl grunted and looked away from her, Desiree then turned to Ember and Ember followed up with a wish, "I wish you would tell me why she left."

Desiree then snapped her fingers and Karl then told her the reason why Dani left, "Aghh! We got into an argument about whether or not you were evil! Dani thought you would turn on us once we reached Area B7Z and if Pariah was defeated!" Karl blurted out, as Desiree magic returned to her.

"Thanks Des," Ember said to Desiree, "So you two were arguing about me?"

Karl nodded, "Ja, She thinks that you would turn on us once everything was said and done. But, even I know that isn't true."

Ember looks at Desiree with an evil grin, the same grin that girls give to one another when they want to test a guy. "How do you know that she wasn't telling the truth, Babypop?" Ember asked him wickedly. "How do you know I won't just, I don't know, take my guitar from the chair and let out a few deadly power cords and finish you off Mhmmm?"

"Or that I won't obliterate you off the face of the earth like a parasite?" Desiree asked with an equally wicked smile.

"Aura sense, my dearest Ember and Desiree, Aura sense." Karl told them confidently with a sly smile. "That and I trust the both of you... And if we are talking about who is evil and who is good, What makes you think I won't do the same to you? From what I have heard about my title as "Mithras" I am someone to be feared."

Ember walked toward him and placed her hand on her hip, "What's to fear? To me you look like a lover and not a fighter." She giggled. Karl rolled his eyes and laughed, "I can be many things. Loving, caring, hateful, cruel, and everything under the sun. You just have to see it for yourself, Babygirl." He said with a sly and wicked smile.

"I must ask, what is this B7Z you speak off?" Desiree asked Karl to defuses the Sexual tension between the two young lovers.

"Area B7Z is a group point in the Zone, A temporary position to rest, rearm, and defend if needed. Our contact is allowing us to use his prison as long as we adhere to his rule and regulations, as well as bring back some unruly scum to keep order in this place. It's a nice little deal that we worked with him, Eh?" Karl said with a little chuckle.

"Your working with Walker and that red caped lackey of his?" The writer asked him in a gasp.

"Me? No and neither is my Battalion. But the Ranger's of 3rd Battalion are and so is the Order." Karl replied coolly. Then it hit him, If the Ghost hunters of 3rd Battalion are at the prison. Then they should have the weapons they need to defeat Pariah, or at least something to weaken the king so he could defeat him. "_But what about Danielle?" _He asked himself, but soon grunted and shook his head. "_She's just a little child, She'll come back..."_

"Hold up, Theirs ghost hunters working with that prick Walker?" Ember asked him.

"The 3rd Battalion of the Wolf Brigade, or the tacky name of "Ecto-Rangers", I just call them the Rangers, are an elite group of Ghost hunters and Ghosts who were hired by the Order to secure and build relations with the inhabitants of the Zone. I know them well, I had to straighten out one of the wild cards by the name of Valerie Grey about a month ago for trying to waste some ghost named Amorpho for pulling a prank on her." Karl explained to them. "The Ranger's fall under my umbrella of command, but mostly listen to Claudia Marlin, my superior and handler. The last order I remember giving to them is to guard the prison and to follow Walker's orders to the letter... I just hope they don't go rogue unlike a few in the 5th Battalion..." He said gravely

"You think going their is going to save us from Pariah and those juiced up bags of bones he has now?!" Ember exclaimed nervously.

"Ember is right Karl, Those things, Those Despoiled, are the work of Sigmund Dark's Black Heart and it's magic. Hiding is not going to stop him from taking the Ghost Zone back to dark ages." Desiree explained to him.

"I'm not going to hide Wish Granter..." Karl told her firmly, "We are going to stop Pariah the only way a man of my rank knows how, That is to defeat him on the field of battle. But first I need Intelligence and an Army, and I know just how to build one..."

* * *

Clockwork smiled brightly, "Hmhm, He's starting to sound just like the Lord of Ages himself."

The obervents rolled their eye's, "Does that fool think that he can defeat Pariah now that he has the Heart?" They scoffed as they watched the screen to see Karl cursing to find his beloved mauser pistol.

_"Where the fuck is my pistol!? Ahhhugh! The little shit took my gun!"_ He shouted as the Obervents chuckled at his misfortune. Clockwork rolled his eyes and watched as Ember, Desiree, and Karl flew off into the Zone.

"I wouldn't underestimate him." Clockwork said reassuringly, "You observers haven't paid any attention to what is going on outside of the Zone, Have you?"

The Obervents began to stumble over their words, which made Clockwork smile.

"Of course you haven't, Once again it's like watching the parade from the ground." Clockwork told them as he switched the portal to the mortal world where Alexander Coelian was meeting with ghostly figures in capes in the Mayor's manor. "The meeting of the horsemen has begun..."

* * *

Coelian was in ecstasy, Everything he had strive, sacrificed, and suffered countless failure for has came through. For three years he has tried to get rid of Karl Dael and Claudia Marlin...

Now Karl is trapped in the Zone and Claudia is in the hands of The Order, His hands... Special Action 7, his master plan, has succeeded...

"Bullet," Coelian said to the ghostly figure in a red cape, "I want to reward you for your cooperation with my organisation in your hand in awaking Pariah Dark. The scanners have shown that my rival has... vanished... (Malevolent laughs)..."

Bullet, Walker's second in command, was a muscular figure with sickening blue skin wearing only a pair of urban camouflage pants and a cape. He was missing an eye and wore an eye patch to cover up the socket. "Thank you sir, it was a pleasure... Now about my payment..."

Coelian held up his hand to silence him, "Ahh yes, your "Payment"... I'm not done with you yet, you see..." Coelian told him, still excited and relishing in his victory with little unnerving chuckles. "You are not finished... I need you to see our "New Friend", Whats his name?" He asked the other figure clad in a white cape.

"Youngblood, Alexander." The blue skinned figure clad in a white and black outfit replied to Coelian. "Thank you Vladimir."

Vladimir "Vlad" Masters, The one who unwittingly plunged the world into chaos to firth his own personal gain, and failed, returned to earth after a Gigagen contracted space expedition came to take samples from the Ecto-Ranium Asteroid, comically known as the "Disasteriod", found him and brought him home to the hand of his old collage friend Alexander Coelian. With his hidden hand, Masters sold his company, VladCo, to the Doctor and pocketed the funds with his cohort Coelian. Even though he was declare Persona non grata by the world's governments for Conspiracy, International robbery, and Terrorism, Coelian was willing to give his old friend a home with in the order under the code name of "Solo Wing" and was sent forth to begin Special Action 7, while in the midst of Operation Blue.

"Youngblood is, to state the obvious, a child like apparition of either seven or eight years old in appearance with a niche for playing dress up. One of his favorites is to play pirate…" Vlad explained to Coelian.

"Indeed, the child and his band of playmates have enjoyed almost complete impunity with in the ghost zone since your recruitment Bullet. They have played their part well in Case G29 and I wish to confirm their loyalty to our cause, that my ghostly friend is what I need you to do. Then you will receive your payment…" Coelian told the one eyed bounty hunter.

"Yes Mr. Coelian." Bullet replied with a bow before teleporting back to the Zone.

"I'm wary of his loyalty to our cause, Mr. Masters." Coelian said in a skeptically.

"My experience with Walker's men are limited, but even I can see that his loyally is that of a mercenary; Loyal only to the highest bidder." Vlad replied.

"Follow him, But keep your distance. If he shows any sign of disloyalty… Well that is a little self-explanatory isn't my friend?" Coelian told him bluntly with a little chuckle.

Vlad nodded and teleported to the zone, leaving Coelian alone in empty house with a massive grin on his face.

* * *

Clockwork gave a disdained scowl as he looked into the dark eyes of Coelian to see him devoid of all morals and spirit. It disgusted him greatly to see someone that seemed to have such promise in life become such a wretched human being.

Coelian began life as the prodigal son of a technological super scientist by the name of Nicolai Technus. Influenced heavily by his fathers love for science and technology, Alexander found a career as a scientist working for Ingen on "High Priority Projects". After his father's death and Ingen closing down, he found comfort in wine and soon his work suffered because of his drunkenness. Leading him to fade away into obscurity and later into the arms of a satanic cult where he began his life as a satanist, which would later earn him the nickname in the order as "Cipher". Joining the Brimstone Society, Alexander began to rise through the ranks ruthlessly until he became a paladin, A rank in the order equal to a General. His run in's with Claudia and later with Karl drove him mad beyond all recognition...

His intelligence combined with cold heart, calculating personality, and ability to betray anyone and everything made Alexander Coelian a force to be reckoned with…. But it was his arrogance and distrust of his minors would be his downfall… Clockwork knew this...

"The first casualty of war is truth… and so is the plan…" Clockwork said ominously as he narrowed his gaze to a convoy of three BTR-80's as they traveled toward the city limits of Amity Park.

"I'm in control now…"

* * *

The BTR's travel through the streets with impunity as car pulled to the side to let them pass, if not then they would have to face the merciless fire from the KPVT heavy machine guns mounted in the turret of each BTR. The gunner's were itching for a fight ever since Undergrowth reared his ugly head with in the city and the gunners took a lesson from Mercenaries in the Middle East with the "Thumbs on the 50's" mindset, blasting anything that doesn't cooperate with them.

Inside each BTR was a squad of heavily armed Gigagen mercenaries each armed to the teeth with the latest in arms from the former Warsaw pact and other Com Bloc counties and ready to use them in a moments notice. The team was contracted by Coelian personally for a special assignment...

Inside of the center BTR sat the beaten, bloodied, and handcuffed figure of Claudia Marlin, still wearing her Sorcery Corps uniform, but with the patches ripped off and blood spattered across her tunic and blue undershirt. In front of her was a young, red haired, grey eyed, female mercenary dressed in a black BDU with a red beret clutching a shiny black Vepr Assault rifle in her hand. Claudia knew her alias, Vid, but her real name was still a mystery to her. Vid was once apart of team of three ghost hunters hired by Vlad Master, the corny named "Masters' Blasters".

To her left and right were the remaining members of the "Blasters", Download and Thrash. Download, the green eyed younger member of the group, was busy cleaning his Glock 18, While Thrash, A larger Blond haired blue eyed brute, was gloating about his PKM machine gun.

"I carry more bullets then all of you! This gun can hold off a whole army of ghouls without any trouble!" Thrash gloated childishly.

Claudia rolled her eyes, She despised all of three of them for their arrogant banter and immaturity. None of them, including their leader Vid, showed no mercy for her. The beating and desecrating her was one thing, She's experienced worse, but what drove her over the edge was when they spoke of her daughter, Sally Mcknight.

"Your daughter is one fine piece of tail, eh Claudia?" Download taunted her. Claudia didn't say a word and only gave a slight ominous smirk.

"Yeah! She's got nice legs that go for miles!" Thrash said crudely.

"Knock it off you two, remember I am still a girl and your officer!" Vid scolding her two teammates.

Claudia remained silent and continued to smirk...

"What are you smirking about witch? You should be thanking me for not killing you already or letting these guys have some quality time with you." Vid shouted at her.

But Claudia said nothing and continued smirking.

"INCOMING!" The gunner shouted as explosions thundered outside the BTR and the clatter of the heavy machine guns caught the young mercs off guard. Thrash threw open the hatch on the roof and began firing into the air, shouting and screaming wildly "GHOST FREAKS!".

"Strigon 1! Come in Strigon 1! This is Strigon 2! What is the situation!?" Download frantically called into the radio to the lead BTR, with the cracking of machine gun fire in the background.

"IT'S FUCKED!" Strigon 1 replied before a massive explosions destroyed him...

The center and rear BTR's swerved off the road and collided into an office building, killing the driver and gunner on impact. Thrash was cut to pieces by the heavy glass shards that protruded out of his torso, Julienning his entrails, turning him into a human pin cushion. His blood leaked through the open hatch and down into the crew cabin, dripping on to Download's signature grey cap. Download laid on the floor of the BTR with a gunshot wound to the side of the skull from his own Glock who rested firmly against Vid's forehead with a vengeful Claudia at the trigger. In the confusion of the explosions, Claudia wrestled the pistol from the boys hands and just before the crash. The shots were muffled by the maniacal screams of his wild man comrade Thrash, but the crash threw Claudia on top of vid and threw off her aim.

Vid's heart was raising as Claudia pressed the muzzle against her forehead with soulless eyes as she tighten her grip around the pistol.

"The key, Please." Claudia demanded in a polite tone as she rapped her finger around the trigger.

Vid reached down into her pocket and unlocked Claudia's shackles promptly. As the shackles fell from her wrists and ankles she could feel the blood rush through the scars on her arms and back into her hands. She smiled a thankful grin to vid with her beautiful white teeth showing from end to end, "Thank you.. Vid is it?" She asked the frighten red head.

Vid nodded, "Tell me your name, your real name please." Claudia asked her sweetly.

"My name... My name is... Paige... Paige Shay..." Vid said in a whisper.

"Beautiful..." Claudia said in a sweet almost motherly whisper as she pressed the pistol harder into Vid's forehead and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Danny and Skulker were busy dueling one another in the skies over Amity Park, one liberal barrage of Rockets from Skulkers battle suit brought the attention of the Gigagen convoy and another turned the convoy into a smoking wreak. Danny broke off from his fight with Skulker and headed to the convoy, as well as ignoring Skulkers crude remarks and banter along the way, to check on a rather unpleasant and familiar figure dressed in Maroon stumbling out of the ravaged insurance office with a Glock in hand.

"Claudia?" Danny asked her cautiously.

She turned around quickly with the gun trained on Danny who threw up his hands, "HEY! I'm on your side remember! Or something..." He said unsure of his position in this affair.

Claudia tottered toward the crash sight and looked back at Danny, "Did you do this?" She asked with heavy breaths.

Danny shook his head and pointed at Skulker, who was darting toward him at high pitched speed. "Knock it off." Claudia shouted to Skulker as she pointed her pistol into the air and fired a warning burst at the hunter. Skulker hit the brakes and stopped beside the halfa in shock to see Claudia, "Madam Marlin! I thought you meet your maker in Louisiana three years ago!" Skulker shouted in surprise.

Skulker was renown for his Semi-Competent hunting abilities and De facto leadership status in a emergency, but would usually travel to the mortal world to take contracts from many unnamed contacts for unknown amounts of money or technology. Skulker was offered a position in 3rd battalion, but turned it down to keep his status as Freelancer. Skulker worked with Claudia on a few occasions and concerted her a friend in some cases, including in giving her refuge from Coelian and his personal agents with in the Order.

"Amsel couldn't kill me and neither could that crippled devil Coelian!" She shouted arrogantly as she held her free arm around her chest as her ribs throbbed in pain.

"What happen to you?" Danny asked her as he and Skulker held her up by the arms.

"Fucking Ghost King is back and that bastard Coelian is trying to snuff me out!" Claudia shouted in pain. "Karl and that Dark one, Danielle or something, are trapped in the Zone."

Skulker and Danny's faces filled with fear and dread as the words came out of Claudia's mouth...

"Ahhugh! Danny! Your parents must have a way of communicating with the Zone, Do they have anything that can connect with our communications system?" Claudia asked Danny.

"I think we do, but I'm not sure.." Danny replied.

"Get that tecno-Geek friend of yours ghost child, if he can hack into my battle suit then he can build an Ecto-Communicator Mark 7G!" Skulker told him.

Danny's scampered to find his phone and began calling Tucker and Sam...

* * *

Clockwork smiled and nodded, "Everything is coming together nicely..."


	8. Chapter 8: Old Friends

_**I apologize greatly for my delay the posting of this Chapter, Work has dominated my free time for the last five or six days because of only six people left to run the store. So I picked up the can as they say and now I work more, Both good and Bad but hey money is money right? **_

_**Anyways, enjoy this chapter and a shout out to Hanna for her Review! Thank you it really means a lot that you enjoy my creativity on my Fanfics, but my original work is better :) Love to hear from all of you who read and enjoy my stories :) R&R F&F**_

_**With Love ~Dresner **_

* * *

Claudia grew impatient with every passing moment as Tucker and Skulker feverishly worked together to constructed a crude Ecto-Communicator.

The Ecto-Communicator, Or the FuG-G (**Funkgerät-Geist,** "Radio Equipment Ghost") Mk VII G Skulker referred to, is a Brimstone R&D project based off of blueprints and prototypes either purchased or stolen from the various companies and private workshops of the Fenton Works, Vladco, Or Axion Labs. The radio was itself rather large, bulky, and look rather outdated when compared to modern computers and cell phones, But unlike a cell phone It could communicate with beings from other worlds and dimensions. Or in Claudia's case, Communicate with the rangers with in the Zone in hopes of getting in touch with Karl, if he was still among the living.

"Status!" Claudia called out to Skulker who answered promptly, "Almost finished! Just a few more touches..." Skulker said before Tucker interrupted with a prompt and joyful "Done!", Which aggravated Skulker a little.

"Begin the preparations and set frequency for Area B7Z." Claudia ordered Skulker. The radio sparked to life with white light out of the channel screen, just like radios of the 1940's. Static surged through the headphones as Skulker searched through different channels until finally coming to B7Z channel.

"B7Z, This is Skulker Come in. I repeat this is Skulker." He called into the radio.

"You have a lot of nerve to be callin my prison punk..." The Cold Texas accent of Walker replied.

Claudia rolled her eyes and snatched the Radio from Skulker's hands, "Walker, This is Paladin Marlin. Give me a SITREP." She demanded from the ghost warden.

"The situation is under control…" Walker said coldly.

"Bullshit Walker," Claudia replied harshly, "The King has returned and your saying the situation is under control?"

"Little lady, I'm going to have to let that tone of yours go for now." Walker replied calmly, "But I believe I can give the handle to someone who can."

* * *

_**Few minutes earlier…Entrance to Walker's Prison, The Zone**_

Karl, Ember, and Desiree walked through the massive gates of the Ghost prison, Area B7Z, with the looming eyes and muzzles of Crimson uniformed Rangers of 3rd Battalion as they patrolled on the walls and around the grounds. Karl looked up and could recognize the big brick like muzzle breaks of KORD Heavy Machine guns in the guard towers scanning the endless nothing that was the Zone. The smell of fresh plasma and gun powder filled the air, the sign of an attack of some kind accured early that day.

But that didn't surprise Karl at all, what did was the massive amount of refuges huddled together near fires with Ghost and Rangers handing out rations and other basics to the refuges. The faces of the refuges were haunting… Even for ghosts, they looked as if every piece of emotion and feeling with in their bodies were torn from them and replaced with zombie like glares of hopelessness. The ghost guards of GZPD retained the same expressions as they handed out anything they could to their ghostly brothers and sisters.

"Achtung!" One of the Rangers called as Karl passed by. They gave him the traditional military salute as he passed by the rangers, but soon shouted "At ease and carry on." as he passed by and headed for the main building. The Ghost guards tried on a few occasions to stop his ghostly entourage of Ember Mclain and Desiree, but belayed their attempts once they saw Ember hold his hand tightly against hers and allowed all three to continue on toward Walker's Officer.  
The lower floor of the prison seemed to be the mess hall, where orange suited prisoners ate their own gruel under the watch of the GZPD guards. Some prisoners scoffed at the sight of the grey armored officers of the GZPD, but all feared and loathed the Ranger's who stood in the shadows calmly overseeing the ghosts officers.

The rangers wore a crimson uniform made out of cotton and kevlar with heavy plating on the shoulders, shins, forearms, and a steel helmet. Their gear was similar to that of Vulture group, but with less armor, crimson uniforms, and a more advanced gas mask with integrated "Friend or Foe" sensor, in other words a man made aura sensor. Their weapons would differ between basic Ak's with Iron tipped bullets to highly advanced Gauss and Plasma rifles constructed from X-Labs and Fenton Works blueprints. The ghostly members of the Rangers wore a neckless with the Celtic Three rays around their necks for identification purposes and fought almost exclusively alone, to keep themselves out of the line of fire from Hardcore ghost hunters like Valerie Grey. The battalion itself was lead by Claudia, but because of her absents, as well as Karl's, Valerie Grey became the temporary commander with the honorary rank of Major and commander of the Battalion. Her rank meant nothing to the rangers and only followed the orders of their sub-officers and NCO's, but they remained on their toes around her and always did what was right when needed. But with Colonel Karl Dael around, The Rangers seemed to stiffen their stances and cradled their rifles in hand rather than on their backs.

Two Rangers were walking down the hall with rifles in hand with a African girl dressed in Black and red suit of futuristic battle armor that made even the intimidating Protect-Gear of Vulture group look cute. The way she walked gave away a lot of personality; Young, reckless, arrogant, and motivated purely by hatred rather than duty.

Karl could have careless of her race, but her stubbornness and the fact that she was a naive teenager annoyed him greatly as did her "experience" in fighting the paranormal.

Valerie Grey graduated early from Casper High majoring in science and was accepted into Miskatonic University in the new field of study called "Occultism & Paranormal Studies 101" headed by a mysterious reached named Harlan Ellison. She took several classes and in only a period of a year, she graduated with a degree in O&P with a master degree. Valerie was soon recruited by the Doctor himself for her abilities in combat and knowledge in the field of ghost hunting. But another offer arise from the charismatic Doctor, to hunting down her own ultimate enemy...

She never looked back and continued her hunt for the grand prize, the one ghost that she vowed to apprehend and annihilate; Vlad Plasiums

"Who let this kid in the prison?" Karl asked the rangers rudely.

Valerie snorted, "Who let the Kraut come home?"

Karl grunted and rolled his eyes from the harsh comment. Karl's bloodline ran red with the blood of the Germans and Sweds and was unabashed in his love for his father's germanic family, To call him a Kraut was just as bad as spitting in his face.

"Are you letting those freaks of nature out for a walk?" Valerie asked him, pointing to Ember and Desiree.

"Watch what you say bitch, Karl may be holding back but I sure won't." Ember Taunted her with her eyes changing to dark red. "Neither will I child." Desiree said with an ominous grin.

"Oh yeah? What are ghouls going to do?" Valerie replied arrogantly, hoping to get a rise out of Ember and Desiree.

The three stared each other down like angry wolves fighting over a dead carcass until the large and intimidating figure of the warden, Walker, appeared behind with a cold gaze. "There will be no beatings in my prison, unless it's my crew doing the beating. Am I clear ladies?" Walker asked the three girls in his usually condescending tone of voice.

Walker was a large and looming figure dressed in all white 1920's or 30's suit with a fedora and spoke with a distinctive ascent from the southern united states, possibly Texas or Arkansas. Walker was a brutal disciplinarian and would gladly punish anyone who defied the rule given to him by the observants, but would occasionally break them for his own gain... Usually for revenge. The GZPD were his gang of personal thugs, just like the police in the real world, that did whatever they were told to do without question. Karl never met him personally and only knew him through rumors and stories about his cowardliness and low down dirty behavior. Claudia met him personally on a couple of occasions and regarded him as "An Expendable Asset" along with him second in command, Bullet.

The three girls gave angry and resentful grunts and threw their noses in the air as Valerie walked off with her escorts. Karl rolled his eyes and shook Walkers hand, "Walker I presume?" Karl asked him in a respectful tone

"That's right punk," Walker said rudely. "Now can you keep your little friends in line before I have to step in?"

"I suggest that you step back for a moment, My Friend, and realize who your speaking to." Karl warned Walker, his tone shifting from calm to hard and tough. "I am your superior officer and superior... Period! If you have any fucking questions, take it up with Claudia and maybe she will sort you out in a more civil manor than I will. Verstehe?! (Understand?!)" Karl demanded from Walker as he shouted into his face, His eyes glowing teal from anger.

Walker's eyes became wide and gave a resentful sigh before turned around, signalling for them to follow him to his office...

* * *

**_Present..._**

"Claudia, Do you copy?" Karl replied into the headset of the Radio.

"I copy, Good to hear your voice again old friend. I need a SITREP." Claudia replied, Thankful that Karl alive.

"It's fucked, to put it bluntly." Karl said brusquely. "Hell I barely know whats going on besides that the King is now in control of the Heart and is fielding effective units of brute like soliders that I and the Dark one have called "The Despoiled", Tough bastards but not that tough. Other than that, Not a damn clue. What do you know?"

"Just as much as you do, but with a little detail that shouldn't be over looked." Claudia said gravely.

Karl sighed, "Go ahead. But I won't be surprised if it's Coelian. Gives me an excuse when I get back to slaughter the bastard." He said coldly, grinding his teeth together as he thought about leaving Coelian in yet another pool of his own blood.

"Stating the obvious, aren't we? (Mild Chuckles) A suicide mission into the ghost zone with only a slim chance of finding the relic and a mad man with an unceasing grudge against you and me controlling the only man made portal out of the Zone?" Claudia asked him sarcastically with a harsh undertone.

"We can worry about Hindsight a later, right now I need reinforcements and I need them with in the hour. If Pariah escapes through one of the natural portals with his new heart, then we can't stop him..." Karl said gravely.

"Break. This is Skulker," Skulker said as he spoke into the radio. "The natural portals on my scanners are show nille, but in the area's where they are reported have high readings of radioactive material with a extremely high ectoplastism reading. Those readings were only caught after the crisis of last year!"

"Meaning that?" Karl asked him.

"Meaning that Ecto-ranium is playing a part in this... Wait a minute..." Claudia said in shock as she remembered a report on a contingency plan known as Case G29. "Karl! All the portals in and out of the Zone are shut indefinitely..."

"That's impossible!" Danny exclaimed in the background. "The map of the Ghost Zone that frostbite has can open a portal anywhere on earth and in the Zone. How can you close that?"

Claudia looked at Danny with surprise, "Say that again?"

"Their is a map owned by a ghost by the name of Frostbite, He's like the leader of this polar part of the Ghost Zone, and he has a maps that can lead you anywhere in the zone and even teleport you anywhere on earth and in the Zone." Danny explained. "I used it to gather all the ghosts to save the world last year, but I gave it back to him for save keeping. If you did close all the portals to the zone, then how could have you closed the map?"

Claudia smiled, "Karl, did you get all of that?"

"Jawohl, go to the arctic, find frostbite, and muster." He replied.

"How many troops are you going to need from your battalion? Vulture Gruppe is standing at 95% strength as of three days since the attack on undergrowth." Claudia asked him.

"All of them, Everyone is needed and I want them to bring everything they have and more." Karl demanded, "And Claudia?"

"Yes Colonel?" She asked him in a caring tone.

"Remind them to bring the Winter Gun Oil and... and... Tell them it's a Night Train... They'll... (Regretful sigh) They'll know what it means..." Karl said with a heavy heart.

"I... I understand... Open the portal at the abandon drive in theater on the outskirts of Amity Park... Over and out." Claudia replied.

"Over and Out..." Karl replied, placing the headphones on the hook and switching off the radio. He gave a long sigh and turned around with a tired and worn out look before reaching into his coat to retrieve a cigarette. His face bore an expression of a man with the weight of the world crowned on his shoulders, but his eyes told a different story... Ember looked into Karl's eyes to see a man struggling to cope with the reality in front of him.

"What is a "Night Train"?" Ember asked him as he lit his cigarette.

Taking a long hit off of his cigarette and letting out the smoke slowly, savoring the smooth and rich flavor. "It means you won't becoming back... It's the best that I can hope for..." He replied cynically. "Walker, Do you know anything about this Frostbite character?" Karl asked the arrogant warden.

"Not a thing, but I'm sure my right hand man Bullet knows." He replied as he pulled out a cell phone and called Bullet. As he walked out of the room to speak in private, Desiree spoke up with "I know Frostbite and I'm sure I can convince him if you can't." She said said with a flirtatious look in her eyes.

Ember rolled her eyes and pulled Karl to the side to chat with him...

"Hey babe, can we need to talk..." She said with a confused look on her face.

"Yes?" Karl asked as he put out his cigarette.

"I just want to say... Well... Thank you for saving me, it was very sweat of you... But I have to ask..." She said, trying to piece together her thoughts but could help but shudder every time she spoke.

"Your wondering why, Aren't you?" Karl presumed with a sigh, as if he knew this was coming.

Ember nodded, "Yeah, I mean I was about to kill you man. I don't get how some guy like you can change from wanting to tangle with me and then turn around and save me. What gives?"

Karl closed his eyes and took a deep breath... "I did it, at first, in a vein attempt to recreate a relationship I had and wish I still had..." Karl said pitifully, sounding as if he was only an inch tall. "I use to be with a girl by the name of Dusk and I loved her dearly, Saving her was how I ended up in Brimstone. I gave up the ring she gave me and put my love of her into it, so that it would bring you back to life. I had hoped it would have given you a little piece of her as well, but I didn't care. I just wanted you to come back to life more than anything... I only know so little about you, and I wanted you to continue on.."  
He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his thick brown hair nervously, "The other reason is because you don't deserve to die... You don't, not at the hands of anyone including those brutes of pariah's... I admit I was wrong to do what I did out of selfishness, but I just... I just... I see so much of her in you, but every passing moment that I look into your eyes her memories fades away and is replaced by you.. I..."

Ember could feel her heart cringe with every idiotic word and stumble, fighting the anger and resentment she felt inside of her. But something inside of her was nagging at her, was it the spirit or idea of Dusk that Karl put into her? Or was it her own heart telling her otherwise? "What you did was pitiful and you should feel bad!" She scowled him, trying to appease her tougher outward appearance. But that faded when she looked into his eyes to see genuine remorse in his eyes, made her drop her cold appearance in favor of a more understanding character. "Look... What you did was bad, alright? But... (Sigh) But I know how you feel... I tried doing that with Skulker... He reminded me a lot of a guy I knew back when I was alive and kicking." She said as she brushed her bangs aside and came closer to hug him.

She rapped herself around him and held him tight, "Your still in trouble Babypop." She said in a playful tone, "But we can work that out later." Ember said with a small chuckle as she pressed her finger against his lips so he couldn't reply.

* * *

Time froze all around the Ghost Zone leaving everyone in a state of suspended animation. Two clock hands appeared from a wall nearest to Karl and Ember and a figure dressed in a violet cloak with a hood over his head, Clockwork. From his cloak, Clockwork pulled out a time medallion and placed it around Karl's neck.

"Of course we can baby." Karl replied to Ember, But she didn't respond back. "Ember?"

"She's frozen in time Karl." Clockwork told him. Karl turned and jumped back in surprise to see clockwork staring him in the face.

"You scared there for a moment my friend, Who are you?" Karl asked Clockwork politely, but still surprise.

"Polite? Hmm, Interesting. I'm surprised you didn't threaten me." Clockwork said calmly. "But I already knew you wouldn't. I am Clockwork, Lord of Time, and you are Karl Dael I presume."

"(Sight Chuckle) Your presumption is correct. Pleasure to meet you, It's always good to meet another friendly apparition. Or at least on that isn't going to trying and fight me." Karl said with a light heart chuckle.

"There is no need for it, Mithras. At least not now." Clockwork told him ominously.

"Of course not now. At this moment I must begin preparation to build a force that can and will break Pariah's Army without trouble." Karl replied dutifully. "I must ask though, what is with you ghosts calling me Mithras? I earned that nickname in Belka! How has it spread all the way to the Zone?"

"Mithras is older than time itself, maybe as old as I. But I digress, Your nickname belonged to a figure who bested one of the most fear beings to ever exist in the Zone..." Clockwork explained to him. "To defeat Pariah once and for all, you must first learn of Mithras."

"Just like the old saying. If you fail to learn your history, then you are doomed to repeat it." Karl replied.

"Indeed and Pariah has failed to learn even his own basic history, So you must teach him." Clockwork explained as he opened a portal to his citadel. "But first, you must learn..."

"I love History, but I must make a condition..." Karl said, as he looked over at Ember who was still frozen in time. "I want to show her somethings... And maybe she will show me somethings as well. To better understand ourselves..."

"I understand, but you must not meddle with the time stream." Clockwork warned him as he pulled a second medallion from his pocket.

"I understand as well... Thank you..." Karl said as he took the medallion and placed it around Ember's neck. She came to and looked rather confused until she saw Clockwork and one of his portals.

"Oh great, What did we do to make him come here?" She replied dramatic and dreadfully.


	9. Chapter 9: Lost in the Moment

_**Hello readers! Sorry for the prologue update for this chapter, Things are coming up and work has been a pain. But regardless I bring you this chapter :)**_

_**I want to thank my wonderful girl, Anya or Kitty as I call her, and Grumpydrawer for reviewing over my up and coming chapters on Skype. I also want to thank Anya for starting a drawing for Door to Deliverance on her DeviantArt **_**_account Anya-noire. Please checkout her work :)_**

**_R&R F&F_**

**_With Love ~Dresner_**

* * *

Clockwork's fortress was, unsurprisingly, a gigantic clock tower surrounded by large turning gears and clocks. Inside was like that of a grandfather clock with even more gears and sprockets turning and curing around a large platform with four strange portal like structures extending out of the walls around them in a cross like formation with a large cylinder on a swivel in the center of the room. Karl and Ember walked side by side with Clockwork at the lead. Karl explained to Ember what was going on and she was rather confused at first, but soon it all became clear to her as Clockwork began to tell them the story of the "The Thule War", but she still was confused on why they were here in the first place...  
Ember only knew little of what the "Thule War" was, while Karl knew close to nothing about what went on in the history of the Zone.

Clockwork lifted his staff into the air and activated the center portal and began the story of the "Thule War"...

* * *

_Four Thousand years ago, the zone was once split into four kingdoms ruled by power kings and lords with power that only the mad or foolish could ever dream of possessing in their life time._

_The realm of the Far Frozen, lead by Frostbite,_

_The Kingdom of Argon, ruled by King Drago,_

_The Kingdom of Grund, ruled by King Solomon,_

_And The Realm of the Black Sun, lead by Lord Ezekiel Lucan._

_These four lords lived in relative peace with one another, mainly keeping to themselves in order to keep peace between each empire. This all changed when the Kingdom of Grund was over thrown by a warlord known as Sigmund Dark, The future ghost lord. Sigmund murdered Solomon and his family without mercy, hanging their corpse from the towers of the former Castle of Solomon, The now current Keep of his son Pariah Dark. The bloody overthrow of King Solomon soon lead to Sigmund Dark's rise to the status of a King and his conquest of the zone began to build his reputation as a __merciless tyrant with the cattle like slaughter of all his enemies both with in the zone and with in his own kingdom. He conquered the Kingdom of Argon with only shedding the blood of their King, Skinning him alive while in his dragon form quelled all resistance from the peasants and lords of Argon.  
The Far Frozen managed to halt his advance into the rest of the Ghost Zone… But lost a substantial portion of his homeland and Frostbite himself lost his arm in the bitter struggle against his Brutes, or Despoiled as you call them. They soon fell to Sigmund's iron grip and began a partisan campaign against his forces… Sigmund seized all forms of wealth, including relics such as Coffin of Forever sleep, the skeleton key, and even the gems to the reality gauntlet. _

_All who opposed him fell to the might of Sigmund Dark's army, To Sigmund Himself, or gave up in fear of losing everything to his power._

_But only one people managed to stop him, The Thule people, those of the Black sun… and one man brought an end to his reign of terror, corruption, and toxicity._

_This man was once a loner who traveled the Zone aimlessly… Who traveled to all ends of the Zone looking for a home… This man took his name from a Roman Deity… This man was Mithras. _

_Mithras traveled to the far corners of the Zone to escape the war the engulfed all of the zone and found himself with in the world of the Black Sun. The world itself mirrored that of the legendary city of Atlantis, but with technology and knowledge that surpassed even myself…. There is where Mithras found a home… With in a short span of time he became a propionate figure with in the society and eventually became one of them..._

_The people of the black sun are unique among other beings of the Zone, with a direct connection with all forms of __reality, the after life, and nature itself… Their power drew from the Black Sun, The eternal sun and center of spiritual power for all beings throughout the universe, itself. To channel this power, they forged relics out of pure metals using the blue flame of the Sun itself. It was through these relics that they stayed connected with the Black Sun and how it stayed connected to the people itself. It was this unlimited power that stopped Sigmund's Army..._

_Mithras received his amulet by Lord Lucan himself and was soon accepted into the world of the Black Sun. The power enlightened him, changed him, and bonded him with both the people and the eternal power of the Black sun itself. With this power, Mithras __launched his own campaign against Sigmund Dark and his unholy legion. First by Liberating the Far Frozen and then by freeing Argon. Sigmund recognized this and began to counter Mithras's attacks, but the people of the latter realms fought back with religious zeal..._

_In a last ditch attempt, Sigmund tried to Raze the realm of the Black sun to the ground and exterminate it's inhabitants. Mithras and the people routed his army and Annihilated his rank and file before they even crossed over to the borders of the Black Sun. Mithras lead the attack, flying the Banner of his people above him… _

_With his army in ruins, Sigmund with drew to his Castle and Mithras followed..._

_Mithras and his men charged into the castle and fought on against the remains of Sigmund's army. Mithras challenged Sigmund Dark himself to a dual… _

_The rest you already know..._

_In his final moments, Sigmund placed his energy into his Crown, Ring, and the rest into his Heart, Creating the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire. His son Pariah retrieved these relics from his dying father..._

_Pariah__ defeated Mithras with the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage's enhanced power when around the Black Heart of Sigmund Dark. With that power, Pariah defeated Mithras and exterminated all the inhabitants of the Black Sun. The world itself was supposedly __destroyed along with all of it's relics, but it seems you have proved other wise..._

_Pariah was defeated by seven powerful ghosts, including myself, one thousand years later. With his defeat, we sealed away his heart with in a piece of his __destroy castle and locked Pariah away with in the coffin of forever sleep. _

_This, my children, was the Thule War…._

* * *

_"_Then that fruit loop plasimus woke the beast and almost plunged the Zone into another dark age." Ember replied at the end of the story. "Phantom and a few others put the hurt on Pariah and his army, The rest is all history."

"Indeed, but now that the heart is in his possession and the Coffin destroyed, the only option is to resurrect Mithras and the only person that can take that power is you, Karl." Clockwork pointed at Karl with his staff.

"Great, another spirit to take refuge in my body. What am I? A fucking boarding house?" Karl snorted as he stepped by the portal. "Lets get going then, eh!?"

Ember rolled her eyes and followed him, but clockwork put his hand on her shoulder. "Please excuse his ruddiness, but don't worry dear Ember. He has a few things of his own to show you. Maybe you should do the same? Don't you think?" Clockwork asked her in a caring tone. She looked over to Karl to see a longing look in his eyes and then turned back to Clockwork.

"Yeah… Your right…" She replied unsure of herself, but soon Ember knew what he meant. "Thank you…"

Clockwork gave an approving nod and soon lead her to the portal with a waiting Karl itching to start this journey. "Remember, do not tamper with the time stream. If you do, things could turn out worse than they already are." Karl warned her.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Have fun and behalf yourself children." Clockwork said with a slight chuckle as he opened the portal to the Thule War.

Karl turned to Ember and gave a heavy sigh, "Their something I want to show you while we're here..."

"I do as well..." She replied as took Karl's hand and held it tightly in her hand. The two took a deep breath and stepped through the portal...

* * *

_**Ghost Zone, 4000 Year**_** Ago-**

Burning as bright as day, Sigmund's Castle burned in a inferno of bright teal flames, It's walls fallen, Towers jetting from the flames, and its defenderThe castle was lost…

The corpses of his army, Sigmund's Legion, lay strewn across the courtyard and their blood splattered across the castle walls staining the brick and mortar a dark crimson. The stench of death and the iron smell of blood in air filled Karl's nostrils, the stench was familiar to Karl and so was the screams and cries of the dying and fighting. The gruesome sight struck fear with in the heart of the long dead teenager that was Ember Mclain, Nothing in all of the time she spent in the Zone had she seen anything that was so vile and brutal as the sadistic killings that laid before her…  
She backed up a few steps in a vain attempt to try and get away from the carnage around her, so her teenage mind thought. But she was stopped once she ran into Karl who was surveying the massacre in front of him with a conflicting expression on his face.

"Wha… What… What happen here?" Ember asked him in a trembling voice as she tried to burn the image of death out of her mind.

"War." He said ominously as he slowly walked forward. "Fought with rage… Fought with vengeance…" Karl rapped his hand around Embers and began to walk toward the main door. Ember held his hand tighter and tighter, as well as her eyes, as they trekked across the carnage of Courtyard toward the sounds of clashing swords echoing from with in the castle.

"Do you hear it?" Karl asked Ember as they approached the massive door leading into the heart of the castle, standing in awe at its monstrous size.

"What are you talking about? I don't hear…" Ember said before Karl let out a slow "Shhhhhh" and put his finger against own lips.

"Iron striking Iron, The shirks of the mad and demonic clashing it a battle of both strength and will…" Karl spoke hauntingly as he pushed the door open, creaking to life and revealing a decimated hallway torn to shreds and lit ablaze with the fires of the Black sun.

"Your scaring me Karl! Quit it!" Ember demanded, trying to regain her tough outer shell.

"There's nothing to fear, my dear..." Karl reassured her as he took her hand, "We won't be seen or harmed."

Ember nodded and turned themselves intangible and invisible as they walked down the burning corridor toward the sounds of low grunts, clashing swords, and painful cries.

"Fear is nothing but a weight to hold you down, as is uncertainty and ego." Karl told her calmly as they walked through the fires. "You must banish both from your heart, mind, and soul. Because if you try to carry it into battle it will drag you and your brothers down with you. Listen to the voice that speaks with in the mind, The voice that tells you what to do, the voice that lays dormant with in your mind since you young. The fact is their is not a sure fire way to cleanse yourself of the fear, ego, and uncertainty, But it's different for everyone... Take a deep breath and clear your mind, think only of Endsieg, The Final victory."

"What are you talking about?" Ember asked him, confused at his strange wording.

Karl gave a sigh and gave a slight smile as he tried to reword his statement so that the now 18 year old Ember Mclain could understand him. "Don't be afraid of the Hell around you. Just clear your mind and only think of a positive outcome, That what I do when I fell afraid."

"I'm not afraid..." Ember spat. "Wait, your AFRAID of things?" She asked surprisingly.

"Of course!" He said with surprise. "I'm still human, at least I think I am. Going to War and three years with the Order, doesn't mean I'm not afraid of anything." Karl told her.

"Is that how you got your fancy title and those nice little bottle caps on your chest, Solider boy?" She teased him. "You die in a fight or did you blow yourself away?" Ember's tone shifted from playful to serious when asked the latter question.

Karl snickered, "Still alive baby doll, Still alive and kicking."

"Then what are you? Half ghost? Thule?" Ember asked him, trying to figure out what he is.

"Half Thule, From what clockwork explained to us." Karl assessed as the reached the great hall. "I don't posses any ghost based powers besides Aura sense. The rest are more along the lines of Spectral energy and basic super human abilities, along with my own natural toughness and persistence. I guess I'm just a special one. He-he!"

Karl grew silent as the silhouette of a large dark figure fall to the ground with a thunderous thud, "Uahhguh!" A dark and deep voice grunted in agony. The two looked at each other and ran toward the screams of agony coming from the throne room, but could only see the faint outlines of two men, one giant laying on the floor and another, more slim and taller, man looming over the giant through the fierce flames that blocked the door.

The two passed through the flames without trouble, but stayed silent and watched at the sight in front of them. The tall figure with a flag draped over his shoulders and clad in Templar style armor covering all his vitals, a black cloak and chainmail, and a large Military order cross of the Templar's in maroon on his chest and on his shoulder armor. The man's hair was long and black, as was his beard. Clutched in his hands was a large claymore sword ingrained with germanic and celtic runes on its massive blade.

"Mithras..." Karl whispered in shock and disbelief. "Then that must be Sigmund..."

Laying on the floor was a giant of a figure, measuring at least nine or ten feet tall, wearing large and intimidating set of dark grey armor with spiked protruding out of the shoulders. His skin was chard, rotting, and doused in blood from battle with his mortal enemy, Mithras. His face was large like Pariah's, but with scraggly dark hair instead of the massive green mane of his son. His eyes were pure white, as if he was blind, yet he seemed to be looking at Mithras with disdain and gave a scowl as the champion stood over him with sword dangling in his hands.

"What drives you to such lengths as murdering an old man in his own keep?" Sigmund scowled Mithras as he aimed the blade for his heart, blood dripping from the sword onto his chest plate. "What drove thee? Was I the one that killed your father? Your Mother? Your Son? Was I the one to lay waste to your place of birth? Or was I the one to give you meaning in this forsaken world?" Sigmund began to cough up blood as he took his final breaths as Mithras tighten his grip on the sword. With one final motion, he jabbed the sword into Sigmund chest piercing through his armor. Mithras then threw his sword aside and with his bare hands, began to peal the armor away as if he was an rip orange. Sigmund protests were unheeded as the last of his armor was ripped from him, revealing sickly green and rotting flesh of the undead. Mithras charged his hands with teal fire and energy, just as Karl does, and with one final thrust tore through the decaying tissue with ease. Sigmund shouted in tongue as Mithras clenched fist ripped through him for a brief second before quickly being pulled out.

In his hand was large mass of blacken tissue, gushing dark red blood, and highlighted with purple veins and valves. "Sigmund Dark's Black Heart…." Karl gasped as Mithras trapped it in his hand with a look of disgust before throwing it across the room. The champion retrieved his sword and sheathed it properly before slowly walking toward the exit without saying a word. But he stopped in half way as the sound of staggering foot steps echoed behind him.

"Father!" A young boy called as he ran toward the mutilated body of Sigmund. The boy wore a black cloak with crude armor, and carried a horned helmet in his hand.

"That's Pariah when he was a kid!" Ember said in shock, pointing to the young boy of about thirteen as he kneeled down to his dying father taking his hand in a vain attempt to reach him.

Pariah began to cry...

But something caught the once innocent looking boy's eye...

On his father's hand was a ring, A ring that glowed a eerie green with a red eyed skull in its center, and on his head bore a Crown burning in the center of a green flame. "Taaakkkkeee Iiiiittt..." The final breath of his father exclaimed as his voice petered into nothing. Pariah hesitated as he reached for the Crown and Ring, but something compelled him, Demanded him, to take the relics. He slid the ring on his finger and soon placed the crown atop his head. Unimaginable power coursed through his body, causing the young boy to scream in agony.

Mithras placed his hand on his sword... But the boy seceded his screaming and began to chant in tongue...

Mithras slowly unsheathed his sword...

Before he could react, Young Pariah fired a devastating blast of red energy into his back. Throwing him through the doorway and onto the ground, dropping his Claymore. Pariah picked up the sword from the ground and began to charge it with his own power.

"YOU WILL PERISH!" He screamed before stabbing Mithras in the Heart with the sword...

The all powerful Pariah Dark soon walked away from his defeated enemy as he laid dead on the floor in a puddle of blood, just like his own father, with a smile on his face. "Today begins a new era here, with ME AS KING!" He shouted victoriously as he charged off the other part of the castle to rally his subjects for another war of conquest.

* * *

Karl and Ember Looked on in terror, horribly disturbed at the brutality that played out in front of them.

"It was that ring..." Karl said, as Ember changed them back to normal. "That ring has something to do with it..."

Ember looked at him questionably, "What are you talking about?"

Karl grunted and rushed over to Mithras's corpse with Ember following him closely, wondering what was going on with Karl.

"_What's biting at him?" _Ember asked herself as he knelled down to the dead body and began to examine the corpse.

Karl growled in angst as he ripped the robe and saw a black sun wheel burned into Mithras chest. Karl took off his own coat and tunic to reveal his own mark of the Black sun on his chest. Ember gave a lustful grin as she saw the shirtless solider and bit her bottom lip in a attempt to contain herself, but the Sun wheel burned into his and Mithra's chest alarmed her. "What is that on your chest babypop?" She asked innocently and a little worried.

"I know how he did it..." Karl said dumbfounded, ignoring her question.

"Did what?!" Ember exclaimed, annoyed that he ignored her.

"How Pariah beat me, That bastard knew of the relic in my heart.." Karl said, angered that he admitted his weakness to her. "The relic within me allows me to use my superhuman abilities without restriction when around balancing objects like the scarf, But with prolong use of my powers it can cause damage my body and mind. One of the reasons why I prefer to use guns and knives as apposed raw power..."

"Didn't seem to stop you from butchering Vortex and Nocturne, or turning Undergrowth in a roman candle stick." Ember antagonized Karl in attempt to get back at him for ignoring her.

"What did you say?" Karl asked with spit.

"Snapping at me isn't going to get you no where." Ember replied in a hostile tone.

"Aww, look at this. A lovers quarrel in the throne room of the damned? Grow up child, We can't argue about pointless things like this when we're at war..." Karl snorted until Ember cut him off.

"You fucking think my feelings are something to blow off? No one ignores me, you got that?" Ember scold him with her eyes turning red with rage. "You adults are all the fucking same! Always blowing off what someone younger than you has to say because you think you know better? Is that it huh?!"

Karl grind his teeth together and soon shook his head, "You really think I don't understand how you feel or think Eh?" He asked her calmly, catching her off guard completely.

"YEAH! Your just some moody bitch who can't relate to anyone because all you do is fight and murder!" Ember replied in a half-heart shout.

"Ignorance is bliss, but I can't blame you for your ignorance." Karl told her calmly. "I was wrong to not be a little more open with you, Ember..."

Ember could here remorse in his tone and looked to the ground in disgust for being mean. She quickly looked up to him and in unison the both replied with,

"I have something to show you..."


	10. Chapter 10: Nostalgia

_**Hello once again reads, sorry for the delay! The power went out down here and a few mess ups have lead to the delay of Chapter 10. I pray for everyone who went through the confusion of the last three days here in the south, as everything was rather "Fucked" with lack of a better term. **_

_**I hope this Chapter Answers some of the earlier reviews about the "Karl & Dusk Ship" :) please R&R F&F**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Karl and Ember held each others hands tightly as Clockwork appeared in front of them from his portal with a small smirk on his face.

"Well, Did you two learn anything from this little visit?" He asked with his smirk growing large, hinting that their was something they were missing or over looked.

"Other than that Ring of being the source of my defeat, nothing." Karl replied bluntly. Clockwork shook his head, "Did you pay attention, dear boy?"

"Ja, Mithras cut out Sigmund's heart, Pariah took the ring and crown, blasted Mithras, and then cut the man's heart out with his own sword..." Karl said before Clockwork shook his head with a sigh.

"Bickering in a time of crisis solves nothing, only impedes your demise. Look behind you." Clockwork said as he pointed to the body of Mithras as it glowed a bright teal. The corpse soon lifted into the air and burst into flames, burning everything but the large black and maroon flag on his back. The flag was half Maroon and Half black with a large maroon square dividing the black and maroon sides of the banner. With in the square itself was a large white Iron cross with two single oak leaves in its center. Karl recognized this banner, this flag...

"Is that... Is that what I think it is?" Karl gasped as his began to glow teal.

Ember became worried, but looked over in surprise to see that his face was jaw-dropped and stunned. He dropped to his knees and threw his hands together without hesitation and began to chant and pray in a dead language from what Ember could tell. "Karl?" She said as she reached over to him, but Clockwork stopped her.

"Let sleeping dogs lie, or at least let him finish." Clockwork told her as Karl continued to pray. "You see, the Thule people have unshakable belief with in the Black Sun. The relics forged from the fires of the sun itself gave it's wearer great power beyond all imagination, but they came at a price for those who wore it for power alone. If the wearer is of good nature, It will award your with its power without consequences." Clockwork explained, his tone shifting gravely. "But if you are evil, every once of your power will tear away at you until your nothing but ash… I've seen it first hand…"

"Karl is good! He's a good guy all around! He has to be, unless… Is it because of what he's done? Does he think he's evil? Or is he evil?" Ember speculated, But soon she caught herself and began questioning herself. Was she good? Or was she evil as well?

"I can see you've taken kindly to the black hunter, have you Ms. Mclain?" Clockwork assumed.

"You already know everything, why do you need to know?" Ember spat back.

"Of course I do, but the question is do?" Clockwork asked her, But Ember crossed her arms and began to pout. "I digress, That flag was woven with a relic of the Sun. Thus gaining some of the Black Sun's power, that flag the holiest of relics of the Thule people." Clockwork explained as the banner floated motionlessly in the air in front of them. "Die Fahne, as the Thule referred to it as, was hand woven by a mystical woman and given to the first inhabitants of the world of the Black Sun. Die Fahne flew above them through thick and thin, rather symbolic don't you think?"

"It's just a flag, Big whoop." Ember snorted.

"It's not just any flag…" Karl whispered as he finished his prayer. "It's the Blood Flag…"

His eyes were still glowing bright with the energy of the Black Sun, yet he was still clam and collective. Passion rolled off of his tongue like lightening, piercing Ember's ears and catching her attention immediately.

"Die Fahnen was carried into battle with Mithras to give him strength, To give him the power to defeat Sigmund. When Mithras was Defeated, rather underhandedly, His blood was spattered over Die Fahne. The flag itself became infused with the spirit of the Mithras… And with the realm itself…"

The flag the disappeared and soon Karl awoke from his trace, his eyes returning to the normal dark green that Ember adored. He dropped to his knees immanently, passing out completely in front of them. "The banner also causes the Thule to channel a vast amount of his energy to Die Fahne as tribute." Clockwork commented as Ember knelled down to help the energy drained Karl, but Clockwork only sighed.

"Child, He will be alright..." He reassured her as the sound of snoring made her chuckle. "He just... Needs to sleep, But first I believe that you have some question for him and I? Is that right, Cherie?"

"Don't call me that, I gave up that name a long time ago." She replied coldly.

"It's because of Ricky isn't, Cherie?" Clockwork asked her.

"Fuck off!" Ember yelled with her eyes burning with hatred at that name...

"I only know so much, but what I can assume is that my assumptions are correct..." Clockwork said without hesitation as the fiery teenage ghost attempted to swing at him. She continued to swing at him, but could touch the ghost of time... Even without the tears of painful memories, she couldn't touch him...

"Hhmm Well this is fun and all, but I do have a schedule to keep." Clockwork said in a bored tone as he awoke Karl, who appeared well rested and unaware of what happened to him in the last hour since Clockwork appeared. His hand was pressed firmly against his head, as if he had a headache, but Karl said nothing and looked over at the wrathful Ember and her crimson eyes.

"Should I ask?" Karl asked Clockwork until Ember calmed down and turned to him with remorseful eyes...

"Karl... I have to... I..." Ember studded, nervous and fearful of what his reaction might be.

"You have to show me something," Karl replied with a deep sigh. "And I do as well..."

Karl turned to clockwork and with a heavy heart asked him to take him back three years to the bar... To Black Tuesday's...

* * *

_**Three years ago, Rural New York, Black Tuesday Pub...**_

In the woods on the outskirts of an old bar in the back country of New York state stood Karl and Ember as they watched a concert from afar. The music was wild, youthful, and in-your-face modern rock with crowds of all walks of life drenching themselves in whisky, bourbon, and beer to the wales of electric guitar. On the stage was a montly crew band of two goth girls, a juice head drummer, and a strange figure in jeans, boots, black jacket, and cap on guitar. Ember was surprised at how good the bar band was, as was their passion in the songs they sung.

Something about the lead singer and the guitar player was familiar to her, and turned to Karl and asked; "Who's the Blondie and the Redneck on the Gibson?"

"The Redneck is me... Me before the black sun, before the order..." He said with a chuckle as Ember expression turned dumbfounded. How could this lively man on stage be the cold blooded Solider boy standing next to her? "The blonde is Dusk... My babygirl... My muse..." Karl told her in a voice almost alien to Ember...

The sweet, calm, and caring tone of a loving man to his woman... The tone that Ember has longed for since her death...

Dusk was a beautiful young woman of about 19 with short blonde hair and pale skin. She wore a gothic style attire with a long sleeved green top with a green skirt with a slit in it, and purple ankle boots. A black choker around her neck along with a "x" shaped necklace and green triangle earrings summed up her accessories, which Ember couldn't help but admire as was her make-up of black eye shadow with green and black lipstick. The way she sung struck Ember the most... It was just a passionate and cut throat as she and herself was.

_**"Love bites, But so do I, So do** **I!"**_Dusk sang at the top of her lungs as the song finished and brought the past Karl in for a final kiss. Ember could help but give a long heartfelt Awwww before turning to the present Karl, who's eyes were dripping tears of joy.

"I met her a long time ago... I took her out of the cold and gave her a home for a few days, before her sisters came back for her. She's a sweet heart when you get to know her, but she'll cut your throat out for kicks on a bad day. Muffy, I mean Dusk, is one of the best girls I've ever been with... The only one that truly understood me for who I was..." Karl explained as his tear dripped onto the snow below. "We threw this concert to raise money and save our Bar and trailer park, we succeeded, but soon a loop hole in the contract changed that and the park and bar were shut down. So I found the girls and took up their offer on becoming their roadie. Some shit happen and then I found myself fighting the unknown in the deep south and then in The Summerland..."

"Pretty fucked eh?" He said with a chuckle and a smile as he recalled his journey through the swamp and the summerland.

"Yeah... I mean that's... Heavy..." Ember replied as a cold wind caught her off guard making her shiver. Karl took off his coat and rapped it around her promptly. Ember smiled, but soon that smile faded into a frown as he looked on at the happy couple on stage. "Aren't you still together?" She asked him innocently.

"Not that I know of..." He replied. "After the Summerland, I traveled with a friend through another version of Earth and joined the army of a nation known as Belka. I made it back to our world, but only as a trump card for the Order, to fight off some great evil in California. I saved the girls, unwittingly, and found myself on the short end of the matter..."

"What?" Ember asked, unsure of what he said.

Karl rolled his eyes, "I saved them, but instead of a happy ending, I got shafted. Turns out the emission from that Entities destruction changed everything, including wiping the memories of all the girls..." He said painfully as the memories of Dusk coursed through his mind.

"Did you even try to talk to her? To see if it was true?" Ember asked sincerely.

Karl shook his head, "After all that I've done, I don't believe she would take back a monster like me." Karl told her negatively. "I've slaughtered some of the most powerful beings to ever haunt the Zone without hesitation. I've done things that I wish I could avoided.. Or at least prevented. She wouldn't take me back if I tried..."

"Bullshit Karl, You killed those brutes without trouble and you saved me. If that doesn't say anything about you then I don't know what does!" Ember protested. "Your a good guy at heart and your not afraid to get rough with pricks who cross you! She loves you! I can see it from here!"

"What do you know about love, Eh?!" Karl scolded Ember, Ignoring her kind words.

"Because I had someone like that a long time ago and I didn't follow through with it!" Ember spat back, regret pouring out of her eyes as well as tears. "I once had a guy that was the world to me! He left because of the fire at our town and didn't tell me! But I didn't go out to find him because I was scared! Scared that he didn't love me any more!" She blurted out uncontrollably, which intrigued Karl a little.

"Your... Your going through the same thing... Aren't you?" Karl asked her, surprised that she understood the weight he felt on his soul. What Karl spoke of was the feeling of uncertainty, a weight that was more of a plague upon his shoulders than a burden. He was a man of conviction, that he and his comrades would make it through everything... But the uncertainty of Love was his weakness... Just like with his powers...

Ember nodded in solidarity and turned her back to the stage, the first stage she ever walked away from by choice, and began to walk into the woods where yet another portal opened... Taking them on another journey to yet another time...

* * *

_**Mid 1970's- Early 1980's, Centraila Pennsylvania...**_

"September snow is upon us," Karl commented as ash fell from a crack in the ground and falling into his hand. "On such a warm day none the less..."

"It's not snow..." Ember said with a sad sigh, "It's ash... Ash from another burning home, or from the fire below our feet."

Karl's eyes grew wide and soon he realized where he was... "The real _Silent Hill_... Centraila..."

"You know my town?" Ember asked in surprised.

"The town who stood upon a fire that has burned for over 50 years? The Fire that three firemen started on accident back in '62?" Karl asked her, which impressed Ember since not many people knew about Centraila.

The Town of Centraila was once a coal mining town during the 1800's until the companies began to leave and shut down. The mainly empty mining pits were used to burn trash back then, but a few volunteer fire fighters made an error and the burning trash reached a coal vein. Causing an unceasing and uncontrollable fire that burns to this day... The town is now a ghost town with only ten remaining residents...

Karl knew of Centraila after a project he was given by his high school science teacher, Mr. Morrie Lancer, when he was seventeen. But this wasn't his first visit to Centraila...

"That's the one, Not many people know of my home town..." Ember remarked as she began to walk toward the main road toward the dying city of Centraila.

"Well from a project in grade 12 to a more memorable 'Vacation' a year ago really makes you look into where your going." Karl said, putting emphasis on 'Vacation'.

"You've been here before?" Ember asked him they walked down the main road, their boots clicking and clacking against the pavement.

"Unwillingly, But yes." Karl said with disdain. "Gigagen use to run convoys and even disposed of a few 'Failed projects' in the town's mines. I remember running with Vladof, The doctor's other right hand man, on that warm spring morning. Started out as a basic disposal mission, but soon we found ourselves chasing after a live one through the woods until the little fucker fell through a sink hole and burned to death. Still go the job done, but we found something strange though..." Karl's tone shifted to a more confused and unnerved tone.

Ember turned to him with wonder in her eyes as they passed by the "Welcome to Centraila" Sign and entered the small new england town of Centraila, before it was demolished and forgotten. "What did you find?" She asked before grabbing his hand and turning them invisible as they began to see what remained of the population of Centraila. There were little shops and stores, a book store, and even a few houses still standing in the small town. It was at least the late 70's or early 80's judging by the old cars and attire worn by the civilians, but what drew Karl's attention was a young fair skinned girl of sixteen with long brown hair wearing bell bottom jeans with a jean jacket and a basic acoustic guitar on her back. He looked over at Ember and then to the girl...

"It's you... It's you when you were..."

"Alive? Yeah..." Ember sighed as her human self walked down the street and into a near by guitar shop. The two travels soon followed her and looked through the window to see her talking to a young guy of her own age. The young man had thick black hair and tender blue eyes and wore a simple outfit of a white T-shirt under a torn flannel shirt, backwards trucker cap, and a torn pair of jeans. He looked almost like Danny Fenton, but with a more laid back feel to him.

"The hotty behind the counter was my love, Ricky Weathers..." She said with a dreamy sigh before looking at her human self. "The girl was me... Cherie Mclain..."

Karl was speechless... Barley processing what was playing out in front of him...

Their he was watching this girls life pass before his eyes, yet beside him was her afterlife...

Soon time itself flew forward and everything around them blew past them like a VHS tap on fast forward. The town disappeared around them, leaving only a few buildings standing among the empty lots. Clouds of smoke poured from the ground as the fire below them grew.

The found themselves a couple of weeks into the future and soon they saw 'Cherie' on her knees at the stoop of a abandon house in a puddle of tears. "Ricky disappeared... Turns out that the Co2 in his house got so bad that his parents packed up their bags and left, left with out telling me or calling me..." Ember said as voice became tense and clogged with pieces of broken heart. Ember never spoke of her past to anyone, even to her ex's. She had tried to forget her past, but know that Karl knew this pain gave her the confidence to share it with him.

"So I went over board, Never had a Dad, a brother, or a good friend to give me a shoulder to cry on. Dad and brother died in Vietnam, Mom was always working out of town, and friends? I wasn't the most popular girl in school." Ember told him, trying to hold back her sadness with a tough outer appearance. "I... Never really loved anyone like Ricky... I was so attached that I just... went off the deep end." She said almost nonchalantly, but a hint of regret.

"What did you do?" Karl inquired with a concerned look on his face. Ember gave a long sigh and gave him a slight smile, thankful that someone cared about her.

"I took my guitar and a note book to that hill." Ember said, point to the hill over looking the church.

She lifted herself and Karl into the air and over to the hill where they could see a complete view of the Ukrainian Orthodox church on the other hillside. When they landed, Ember sat down cross legged and took her guitar off of her back and sat it in her lap.

"When I first bought that old grandpa guitar, I use to come up here with my note book and write down the cords so I could make a record of them. I dreamed of making it big one day in the bizz, you know?" She said as she started to strum on the cords with a slight smile on her face. "Things were simpler back then..."

"I use to play the guitar before Brimstone, I still have a six string at my quarters in Canada." Karl told her as she started playing an acoustic version of **Remember.** "Mostly I would play a few folk songs, some rock, or just some cords of my own to keep myself interested."

Ember looked at him with an impressed look on her face as she stopped playing, "Really? I didn't notice." She said with a sarcastic giggle, Remembering seeing a younger Karl playing on stage.

Karl chuckled as he sat down next to Ember as she handed him the guitar. He tuned the guitar and strum a few strings before finding a song that would really fit the atmosphere of this dying down... _**Dirge for the Planet- FireLake**_

* * *

_**Miraculous crystal  
Given by stars  
I can foresee the future  
In fabulous glass  
Lie spilt on the caves  
Mock scribbled on us  
Earth's doom day is close**_

_**Dancing on the ashes of the world**_  
_**I behold the stars**_  
_**Heavy gale is blowing to my face**_  
_**Rising up the dust**_  
_**Barren lands are desperate to blossom**_  
_**Dark stars strive to shine**_  
_**I still remember the blue ocean**_  
_**In this dying world**_

_**The seas overdumped**_  
_**The rivers are dead**_  
_**All planet's cities turned a deserted land**_  
_**Annihilation declares its day**_  
_**Life slowly**_  
_**Utters me "remain"**_

_**Dirge for the planet  
**__**Dirge for the Earth**_

* * *

Ember found herself in thralled with Karl performance, So much that she began to sing with him. When the song was done Karl handed Ember her guitar and enjoyed the last bit of sun light as sank past the hills to the north. He laid down on the soft grass and gazed up to the stars above, "Beautiful... Just Beautiful..." Karl said as the stars lite up the night.

"Yeah... It... It really is..." Ember said with a regretful sigh. "Ricky and I use to come up here every night and watch the stars to pass the time..."

Karl turned to her with his head held up by his arm, "What ever happened to you?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

Ember sighed and looked over at him with a grin as his hat covered his eyes. She pushed up the bill of the cap to see his green eyes as they sparkled in the star light, just as Ricky's use to all those years ago. Running her eyes down from his face to the boots on his feet, giving a slight smile. "Come to think of it, those eyes of yours remind me of Ricky's..." She said cutely, trying change the topic.

"Thanks... But that doesn't answer my question." Karl said, ignoring her aims at flirting.

Ember let out annoyed grunt and replied, "Fine.", Before getting up up and walking over to the hillside. "You want to know what happen, just look over there!" She said with her tone shifting between anger and sadness. Karl rushed over and watched as Ember's human self, Cherie, was walking in the moon light with guitar and notebook in hand. His heightened hearing could pick up the slight sounds of sobbing, as well as a depressed and lamenting aura. Just then, the lamenting young girl of 16 vanished... Karl's instincts kicked in to rush to her, but it was to late...

"The fall knocked me out," Ember told him bluntly. "I chocked to death on the smoke... You happy now?!"

Karl shook his head, "No... You died young... It shouldn't have happen, It just shouldn't have happen..."

Ember became angry, her self-defense mechanism kicking, "Of course it should, dumbass! I was suppose to rock the world stage with Ricky as my roadie, Just like you and Dusk! But no! The world had other plans..."

"The world always does... But it doesn't mean we should give up on our dreams, does it?" Karl asked her bluntly, Catching her off guard. "It doesn't, your a living example of it. Just look at yourself then and now, your still keeping your dream alive." Karl's voice shifted to a more robust and masculine tone, like he was speaking to a crowd.

"What I found that day was the remains of your guitar, I took what was broken and mended it. Now I have a piece of YOU that I will enjoy for years to come. You, Cherie 'Ember' Mclain, are the epitome of the dream, of your dream! This isn't about me, This is about you..." Karl stopped speaking and soon realized why Clockwork paired them together for this journey...

"This isn't about just me... It's about everyone..." Karl said, dumbfounded at the epiphany.

"What?" Ember asked him, annoyed and confused at his sudden stop. Her emotions racing up and down like a bullet train.

"This was a lesson... He was teaching us about ourselves and our motivations... Why we do things..." Karl said with the idiotic laughter of a dying man. "We both do what we do out of thinking about 'What if' instead 'What we will do now'."

Ember could catch on and rolled her eyes until Karl states simply, "We're motivated by uncertainty and lonesomeness... We miss those we love, so we attached ourselves to one another..."

"You think I'm alone?" Ember asked him harshly.

"Even I know that you are... You love Ricky to this day, I can see it in your eyes clear as day. Just as you can see Dusk in my eyes..." Karl said, feeling a little low for phrasing it so bluntly.

Ember took a deep breath and looked to the ground in embarrassment and shame, He was right... She placed her hands on his medallion and looked up to him. Even with her platform boots, she still couldn't look him in the eyes without having him look down.

"Please... Can we leave this place?" She asked innocently as tears melted away her makeup.

Karl placed his hands on her medallion as well and nodded slowly.

Ember kissed him on the lips one last time, hoping that everything he said was a lie... But it wasn't as the kiss did nothing to change the mind of the seasoned Colonel.

"1... 2... 3..." They said in tandem, before removing their Time medallions and returning to Clockwork's fortress. But only Ember returned to the Empty fortress, holding both the medallions in her hand...


	11. Chapter 11: Burning Bridges

_**I bring you another Chapter of Door to Deliverance :) So far I am over joyed at the amount of views for January for this story, 337 in one month and 11 reviews in total :)**_

_**Thank you to all of those in the Danny Phantom community for your views and reviews, but DoD is not yet finished. **_

_**Please Review :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Clockwork and Karl stood in a large, almost endless, realm of gears, sprockets, and pendulums. "Where am I?" Karl asked in wonder as a thousand clocks surrounded him.

"Between time, Karl." Clockwork told him coolly as he pasted through his aging cycle.

"For what reason? I learned my lesson Clockwork, what else could be more important?" Karl asked arrogantly.

"Simple," Clockwork replied as he tapped his staff against the floor, forming a time portal in front of them. "To give you one last test, or revaluation."

The portal itself was a window into the past, rather than a door. What played out in front of the two was almost like a replay of his own life or track record with the Brimstone society...

"The Obesvents have kept an eye on you for sometime now, Mainly to make sure you do not end up like..."

"That horrible laughing jackass..." Karl said with a annoyed chuckle as the sound of awful maniacal laughter filled the air around them. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Dan Phantom, Yes." Clockwork confirmed as a strange thermos floated through the realm freely. "I believe the Order was training you to challenge him, no?"

Karl smirked as the thermos floated passed them, "Ja, But it seems that Halfa got to him before me. Damn shame through..." Karl said with a confidant chuckle as the portal began to show scenes of his merciless battles and defeats of four of the most powerful ghosts in the Zone.

"Indeed, but in your last few years you have carried out the orders of your superiors with brutal efficiency. As show with Vortex, Nocturne, Hotep-Ra, and Undergrowth." Clockwork told him calmly as the brutal scenes of slaughter played out before them. "With question or hesitation, you eliminated four of the most powerful ghosts with in the Zone. Judging by the smirk on your face, you enjoyed your work."

"I do not enjoy what I do," Karl told him with a slight frown. "But what I do is necessary as to protect my people."

Clockwork nodded, "At least you know the moral half the equation, but do you know the interest of who or what you serve?"

Karl rose his brow and soon gave a simple response, "Coelian."

Clockwork nodded and changed the portal to show a scene of a meeting between Coelian and two other figure clad in caps. "They are the profiters of your campaign terror."

"Vlad Plasmius and Coelian? Working together?" Karl asked in a surprised tone.

"Surprised?" Clockwork asked him with a smirk.

"I would think Coelian would have shown at least an ounce of dignity instead of partnering with that retch." Karl remarked with contempt and disdain to Vlad Masters. "I guess this must be his all time low, eh?"

"You recognize Vladimir, but do you recognize the man in red?" Clockwork inquired to him. Karl squinted his eyes and soon recognized the figure in the cape and camouflaged pants to be Walker's right hand man, bullet.

"Bullet…" Karl groaned with anger, "Damn rat…"

"Vlad and Coelian have been working together for over a year, Bullet is a new addition to there circle of conspirators." Clockwork commented as the portal changed to just before the king was released. There in the background was bullet floating about the research team just as Karl left for a smoke break. Karl tighten his fists and grind his teeth as his blood began to boil in anger at the betrayal…

"Walker's right hand should have known our peace agreement, But it seems not even rats have honor." Karl snorted as his eyes began to burn with fire. "I hate rats…"

"He is not the only one who is guilty." Clockwork replied as the portal changed once again, This time to attack on Undergrowth… "Plasmius unleashed Undergrowth upon the city of Amity Park, under orders from Coelian. The plan was simple…"

"Wreak Havoc as much as possible to draw them in…" Karl interjected, vexed beyond belief. "This is the Coup de grace , Eh? Unleash the Ghost king and give him a trump card of his own? To defeat me?" His eyes burned with the inferno of the Black sun itself. Karl couldn't take it anymore and let out a deviating blast that shattered the portal into atoms. "What of the others? What was my purpose in all this?" Karl asked Clockwork.

"To gather information or a location of the Black heart, But it seems the sixth lord found it for his king." Clockwork replied, summoning another portal to reveal the fright knight retrieving the heart of Sigmund Dark. "The others were 'Loose ends' and need to be disposed of."

"You know the story of Pariah's first defeat? Six powerful ghosts defeated him with the combine use of their power. Vortex, Undergrowth, Frostbite, Nocturne, Pandora, and myself were those Lords and only we knew the location of the Heart… But because of the reunion of the Heart with its kin, the ring of rage and crown of fire, their is nothing that can stop him." Clockwork told him, calmly stating the hopelessness of the situation.

Karl took a moment for it all to sink in, but he still could not understand what was happening. It has seemed that days or even weeks have gone by since the Ghost king arose from the forever sleep, yet he still couldn't get his thoughts together. All seemed lost as the ghost of time put it...

His enemies have unleashed the perfect plan of destruction… If the zone could not kill him… Then the king would...

"We can't simply give up." Karl replied to the ghost of time, knowing deep down that Clockwork was right but his pride thought otherwise.

"Must I show you your own demise?" Clockwork asked him Coldly.

"It matters naut!" Karl replied defiantly, taking a ready stance. "I would rather die fighting with my Battalion in the Zone, then let the good spirits of this realm live one day under the boot of Pariah dark."

"Honorable, but all is in vein." Clockwork replied coldly as he reached into his cloak and retrieved Karl's Mauser pistol. "Here," He said, throwing the pistol to him. "If your going to die like a hero you better be armed."

Karl smiled as he inspected his Sliver plated Mauser C96 pistol, but couldn't help but wonder where Clockwork found his beloved side arm and smiled to see it was loaded with a full magazine. Without saying a word, Clockwork switched the view of the portal once more...

This time to a grand fleet of wooden ships flying the banner of the jolly roger… Privateers… Pirates…

Hundreds of them sailing in formation with flags flying high upon their rotting masts with all kinds of ghastly and gruesome beings of all shape, size, and make up running up and down the decks of each ship. Karl chuckled as he stuffed his side arm into his belt, "Who brought the Privateers?"

But soon the portal closed in on some of the crewmen as they ran about the decks causing Karl to stop his laugher and ponder for a moment. "MP-41's? Mauser rifles? Tommie guns?" Karl gasped as he began to list down the weapons in the hands of the skeleton crews.

"They… Those pieces of filth raided my armory?!" Karl shouted at the top of his lungs as the rage broke the surface once more.

"They stole form your dead, but that's not the only thing they stole from you." Clockwork said calmly. "They took Danielle as well…"

Karl's hands glowed bright teal, as did his eyes, in blood rage as Clockwork mentioned her name. The portal soon showed her in chains with Bullet and Vlad standing around her with ominous grins on their faces. She was bloodied and bruised from beatings and torture. The portal soon pulled back to reveal that she incarcerated aboard a massive Iron clad 'Man O' War' capital ship with captain Youngblood at command.

"Aboard that ship is rudimentary portal back to the human world, Only accessible by those with a gate key given to high ranking personal in your organization. That is your only way out of the Zone…" Clockwork told him before opening a door to his own fortress, But Karl ignored Clockwork and walked through the portal without a reply.

Clockwork smiled knowing that his ploy had succeeded…

* * *

_**Clockwork's Fortress-**_

Ember paced like a trouble parent in a emergency room, breathing heavily with cold chills crawling up and down her spine as she worried for Karl's safety. A draft from the rafters caused her to feel a little chilly and rapped the long trench coat around herself. The odor of fine tobacco, gun powder, and cologne mixed together into a fine scene of masculinity that made Ember quiver a little.

'_Wait, why am I worrying about him so much? He doesn't love me... Why should I care If he doesn't?' _Ember asked herself as she paced.

_'Because he cares for you, He may love that drummer girl, but he cares for you. Just look at his coat around your arms.' _Her Conscious told her.

_'If he cares for me, then why didn't he kiss me back?' _Ember replied, hoping that her conscious would give her the right answer.

'_No idea Ember, but you kissed him and not the other way around.' Her Conscious replied smugly. _

Ember began to argue with herself until finally Karl and Clockwork returned through the portal. Clockwork was smiling arrogantly while Karl's face bore the look of a determined figure preparing for a fight. Ember couldn't help herself and ran over to rap herself around his neck in a thankful embrace, "I was so worried about you!" She shouted in joy as she hugged him, but Karl only stood there emotionless until she let go of him...

She looked into his eyes and saw only nothing... Not even a spark of happiness...

Ember looked to the ground as she took off his coat and draped it over his shoulders in defeat, She knew it was over between them...

"Clockwork," Karl called Clockwork. "Return us to the prison at once, I have business to attend to with its warden."

Clockwork nodded and with one click of the clock on his cane, returned the now separated pair back to the prison...

* * *

_**Present day, Ghost Prison, The Zone**_

Time returned to it's normal state with everything moving at it's regularly slow pace. Desiree was a little clueless at what was going on as Karl and Ember we not smiling or holding each other. She opened her mouth to speak up, but was quickly blown off by Karl as he rushed by through the door way with pistol in hand. "Karl, what are you..." Desiree tried to ask until Karl slammed the door in her face.

"(Angry Growls) What is his deal Ember?!" Desiree shouted at Ember, but she said nothing in return and sat down in the nearest chair she could find. Desiree of shocked, If anyone yelled at Ember period they would usually meet a rift from her guitar or at least sarcastic remark or two. But Ember appeared defeated... Not like when the Halfa would send her back to the zone Defeated, but a spiritual defeat...

While Desiree tended to Ember, Karl was busy discussing business with Walker...

"Fuck!" Walker shouted in pain as Karl struck him again with his fist and throwing him on the floor.

"Talk you rat! I'm not wasting a bullet on you until I'm fucking sure..." Karl shouted as he picked up Walker by the neck and slammed him against the wall. "Now fucking answer my question! Are you working with us or you working for Coelian as well?! Who god damn it?! WHO?!"

Karl's ears switched to pure teal and his hands began to burn through Walker's suit, "Ahhhugh! Coelian! We're Working for Coelian!" Walker scream in agony as Karl's rage fueled the fire in his hands and into his skin.

Karl powered down and threw Walker down the hallway, "Where's Bullet?! Where is the cowardly fuck of yours hiding eh?" Karl hailed as he drew his Mauser pistol and clutched it firmly in his hand as he slowly approached Walker ominously. Walker turned onto his back and gazed on with terror as the coated figure approached him from the shadows, His sliver plated pistol shining in the fading light of the florescent lamps of his own ghostly prison. He pains at the slight of his imitate annihilation and scoots himself across the ground in an attempt to flee, pleading for his life along the way.

"PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!" He screamed as Karl raised his pistol to him and fired.

Walker scream like a wounded animal as an Iron bullet ripped through his lower caff and burned his ghostly body. "Talk." Karl said coldly as approached Walker as he coward in pain.

"Ahhguh! I don't know a damn thing!" Walker spat in rage and agony as he held his ectoplasmism oozing wound.

Karl rolls his eyes and stomps on Walkers wound with his heavy boots crushing walkers hands and cracking bone. "Playing dumb won't work Walker." Karl said coldly with a sadistic smirk on his face as he leaned on Walker's wound and placing his whole body weight on him. Walker tried to contain his pain filled cries, but the weight of the Black Hunter was to much for him.

"ON THE LEAD SHIP! THE GAMBIT! AGGHUGH!" Walker scream as he answered Karl.

Taking his boot off of his wound, Walker told Karl everything and confirmed every piece of Clockwork's information. Along with details on a secondary objective of Coelian's Operation Blue...

"Raiding mission?" Karl chuckled smugly. "So that bastard was after riches as well as killing me and Claudia? Wow, I'm impressed."

"The wealth of powerful pharaohs of Egypt, Emperors of the Orient, and Leaders of other great empires who's wealth was buried with them comes here with in a specific realm of the Zone. As well as the lost souls of ships and aircraft from the Bermuda triangle and their cargo." Walker explained as he tried to stop the bleeding. "They contracted Youngblood, that pirate punk, and are using his fleet to get the treasure aboard his ships to leave the Zone. They've been loading the ships for sometime now, and now there leaving with all the confusion to cover there trail!"

"What about Dani? The little dark one?" Karl asked as he released the hammer on his pistol safely.

"They caught her snooping around and kept her aboard the Flag ship, The S.S Gambit. Vlad is planning on dissecting her DNA and giving it to Coelian so he may walk again and become a Halfa as well..." Walker told him, final running out of information to give to the Hunter.

Karl smiled and tipped his hat as a sigh of thanks, "Wasn't so hard, was it Walker?" Karl chuckled coldly before pulling the hammer back on the pistol...

"What?! What are you doing?!" Walker shuddered as Karl rose his pistol to eye level. "I told you want you wanted! I snitched!"

"You did, but I don't take kindly to cowards or traitors..." Karl replied coldly as pulled the trigger, Killing Walker instantly with a single gun shot to the forehead. The heavy skull of Walker his the metal floor with a loud thud that echoed through out the prison, as well as the gun shot from his 9mm sidearm. Heavy footsteps and the clanging of armor followed after the gun shot, as well as the ringing of the brass case of the 9x19mm Parabellum round.

Desiree and Ember phased through the wall behind Karl and to their horror they saw the body of Walker laying on the floor at his feet and smoke pouring from the barrel of his gun. The two gasped in horror at the sight in front of them, Speechless at the sight of coldblooded murder. "Karl... What did you... What did you do?" Ember asked him hesitantly as he turned around to face them.

Karl's face was blank, but his stare was calculating and cold. Sending chills down her spine as the calm and caring Karl she met between time turned into a cold blooded killer in front of her. The heavy foot steps ceased and behind Karl stood Valerie Grey and her Ranger's with Guns trained on the black coated Karl. "Get on your knees murderer!" Valerie screeched as she waved her blaster liberally in the air.

Karl slowly put up his hands still clutching his Mauser pistol in hand... "PUT THE TOY AWAY NOW!" Valerie screamed again, her voice cracking slightly causing Karl and Ember to slightly Chuckle.

"Your such a clueless and impulsive child Grey! Who's side are you on? Us or the gentleman on the floor?!" Karl heckled the abrasive ghost hunter.

"Desiree... When I say 'Get us out of here', take us to the far froze.' Karl whispered to Desiree hastily as Valerie shouted back, "What the fuck are you taking about!? On the ground you shit!"

"Worthless punk!" Karl shouted before snapping around quickly unleashing a wall of lead toward the hostile Rangers, killing two of them and destroying Valerie's blaster. "Get us out of here Wishgranter!" Karl shouted as a massive orb of pinkish purple energy engulfed the three travelers as they escaped the wrath of Valerie Grey.

"Ahhhugh!" Valerie scream in a blood rage as she activated her wrist communicator, "Attention all patrols! Find Karl Dael! I want him back here dead or alive immediately! I don't care what the fuck is out there, just find that murderer and his friends!" She screamed on all channels...

* * *

_**Meanwhile in the Mortal world at an Abandon Summer camp...**_

Claudia, Skulker, and Danny stood beside a commandeered BTR listing to the Fug-G radio as Valerie screamed over the radio at the top of her lungs until Claudia shut off the radio. "He-he, It seems that Karl has made an enemy out of Ms. Grey." Claudia chuckled coldly as she turned to Danny and Skulker. "Valerie Grey? The ghost hunter?" Danny asked in a confused tone.

"She's an asset of ours, a rather efficient one at that..." Claudia told him as she looked on at the rows of Heavily armed troops of the 6th Battalion on the left and a rather strangely column of troops to the right. To the right were five hundred men and women clad in a mixture of dark grey coats, Leibermuster and Spring mint blurred edge camouflage, and fur lined anorak Italian pattern Camouflaged coats. In their hands were the same second world war weapons as the Vulture Gruppe, mainly StG-44 and 45m Assault rifles, G-43 rifles, MP-40 and 41 SMG's, and MG-34 and 42 LMG's. But they carried heavier weapons as well in the form of Panzerfaust and Panzerschrek AT weapons, Flamethrowers, and other heavy crates of weapons loaded on to wheeled and skied sleds drawn by Large Russian Don Horses.

They were not Brimstone or Gigagen troops... Nor were they a private army or national of any kind, or in this world they were not...

Some wore Field caps of the M-43 pattern, others regular side caps, and Some wore the German Steel helmet. The Helmets bore a shield with the colors Black, White, and Yellow, on the opposite was a gold Iron cross, on their cuff titles were the names 'Dinsmark' and 'Karl Dael', and above them flying proudly above the five hundred men and women of this battalion was the flag of their Fatherland of Black, White, and Yellow...

These were the battle harden men and women of the Belka's elite fighting force, The Iron Guard. Their regiment was the 4th Panzergrenadiers, the very regiment that Karl fought with in Sonthofen just three years before. (Read Crossing the Rubicon's German named Chapters to get the reference)

At the lead of the formation was an older man of about Forty years old that looked almost like Karl, but wore a long well kept beard on his face and an Eye patch over the left eye. He wore a Fur lined Anorak of the Italian pattern with Field Marshals shoulder boards over his black turtle neck, Green trousers tucked into a pair of rabbit fur lined Jackboots, and a thick rabbit or bear fur hat with a single gold Iron cross on its face. Claudia only knew stories of the man standing at the lead of the 1500 strong battalion, stories valor, courage, and honor that Karl told her on the many missions that they embarked on together.

But the Knight Cross around his neck spoke volumes over the stories of her surrogate son...

His full title was Field Marshal Erich Zorin, The former Commander of the Elite 1st Panzer Division Dinsmark.

"I'm assured that my boy is opening the portal soon, Frau Marlin?" Erich asked in his thick southern German accent as he spoke endearing of Karl. Claudia smiled, "He has pulled through before and I'm assured that he is on his way to open this portal." Claudia reassured him.

"Gutt, I was starting to worry." Erich said with a chuckle.

"I'm assured our surrogate son is fines." Claudia said with a flirtatious grin as she looked over Erich with man-eater eyes.

Erich gave a great smile and did the same to the beautiful Witch in Maroon as the two began to speak in German to one another with lustful intent.

Danny rolled his eyes and looked over to Skulker, "I hope he finds Frostbite soon, I don't want to see where this love story goes." He chuckled.

* * *

_**Pariah's Keep, The Zone**_

Pariah watched through his own portal as Claudia readied Karl's army for battle. Giving a wicked grin, Pariah switches to the realm of the far frozen where Karl, Ember, and Desiree trekked through the snow toward the home of Frostbite.

"Mithras is planning on bringing his army to my world, is he?" Pariah asks himself as he zoomed in on Karl Dael. "No matter, I've always loved a challenge from a worthy opponent..."

Pariah was soon interrupted by his 'loyal' servant, The Fright Knight, with an urgent message. "My lord, The whelp by the moniker of "Youngblood" are making course toward the Southern Passage out of our world." The Knight told his King in an urgent tone.

"All the gates are closed my trusted friend." Pariah responded coldly as he watched the portal.

"But my King! They have a way to exit our realm! They have a machine..." The Knight interjected.

"What the interloper and the runt have planned means nothing to me." Pariah remarked, referring to Vlad and Youngblood contemptuously. "What matters is the coming battle with an old advisory..."

"Lord Pariah, I believe we should strike the fleet while we can before they escape with our wealth..." The Fright Knight protested.

Pariah turned to the Fright Knight with fire in his eyes and struck him down from where he stood. "YOU DARE TO QUESTION MY DECISIONS?!" Pariah howled in rage. "YOU DARE TO PUT WEALTH OVER MY VICTORY?! YOU ARE NOT A KNIGHT, BUT A COMMON MERCENARY! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT UNTIL THE FAR FROZEN IS UNDER MY RULE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND MERCENARY?!"

Pariah's words cut through the Fright Knight's pride and brutalized his ego... He was a Knight, a noble warrior who earned his frighting title on the field of battle...

To be called a common mercenary was an insult of the highest degree... But he knew he could not face Pariah one on one, even with the Soul Shredder.

The Knight picked himself off the ground and nodded to his 'King', "Yes my Liege." He replied in a loathing tone as Pariah turned away from him.

"No more..." The Fright Knight whispered to himself as he walked out of the throne room to ready his army for another aimless campaign.


	12. Chapter 12: Premonition and Preperation

_**Everyone, I have great news :) Soon I will be attending a private school so I can finally graduate from High School! :) By monday I hope to be apart of the instution and then it will be Three long months of work and toil to finish up my schooling... Wish me the best :)**_

_**This chapter is a lead up to the attack on the fleet and soon to the finally battle... Thank you for your reviews :) Please review, it brings me great joy to see one pop up in my Email. **_

_**Thank you :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner **_

* * *

The cold wind howled across the frozen wasteland that was the realm of the Far frozen. The Realm of the Far Frozen was a baron as Antarctica or Siberia, but without the spars populations of Polar bears and other arctic based species of mammals. The snow was knee high and froze the blood with in Karl's legs as he, Desiree, and Ember trekked through the Ice and winds toward the center of the Far Frozen.

"Wishgranter! I though you were going to take us to Frostbite's lair! Not leave us to die in the fucking cold!" Karl spat at Desiree.

"MY NAME IS DESIREE! NOT WISHGRANTER!" Desiree snapped back at Karl. "I told you my wishes have draw backs!"

Ember let out an annoying growl as the wind and snow hissed against her flaming blue hair. She rubbed her hands up and down her forearms to keep them warm, but to no avail. Karl took off his coat once more and handed it to Ember, "Better you than me." He said with a smile as Ember rapped herself in his long coat. Desiree nudged Ember and gave her a confidant look before saying, "See, He's a gentleman as well as caring and Handsome." Desiree said with a flirtatious grin as she looked on at Karl. Ember rolled her eyes and caught up with Karl who carried on without even a shiver as the moister from his breathing froze on his facial hair, which made Ember chuckle a little.

Ember couldn't help but feel slightly bad for Karl as he walked on through the snow with out his trade mark coat, But she heard not a single complaint from him. "It… It shouldn't be… To far…" Karl said, exhausted from the hours of constant walking. He began to stamper, So Ember and Desiree rushed to his aid. "You have to rest child, if not you will grow ever more wiry." Desiree told him as they carried him through the snow.

"No… I must carry on…" He protested as broke from their grip and continued on without the aid of his friends. "I must walk on…"

"Your going to freeze to death Karl! Your still Human unlike us!" Ember told him in an urgent tone as she took off his coat and put it around him. Karl shrugged, "No… You keep it… I… I don't need it." He said with chattering teeth and a shiver.

"Karl just… Just take it…" Ember replied as she took began to feel the fatigue in her legs.

"We… Need to… Need find some where to… To… Rest…" Desiree said with her last breath before collapsing in the snow, with Ember following close behind. Karl turned around to see the ghostly girls laying in the snow with there eyes close, "Shit." He responded as walked toward the unconscious bodies of Ember and Desiree.

Slinging each of them over his shoulders, Karl carried on through the vast unknown of the realm of the Far Frozen.

* * *

**_Four Hours Later..._**

* * *

Ember awoke with in the confines of a strange tube like container filled with a strange mixture that both warmed her core and repaired her wounds that Karl's magic missed. A stance helmet and mask covering her face head dispensing oxygen to her as she floated with in the chamber.

"Where… Where am I?" Ember asked as she looked around to see what appeared to be a hospital or medical center melded together with a icy cavern.

"Good to see you have recover so quickly Ms. Mclain!" A large beast like creature with a kind voice and a large boney arm encased in ice spoke. "Colonel Dael knew you would recover in such a short amount of time!"

"Huh?" Ember asked him, looking over to her left to see Desiree floating in the container next to her… Naked. Ember soon looked down and saw that she was also nude and vainly tried to cover her self with her hands. "WHERE AM I, WHERE ARE MY FUCKING CLOTHS, AND WHERE'S THAT BASTARD KARL?!" Ember scream in embarrassment as she rapped her hair around her like a towel to cover herself from the wandering eyes of the creatures who were walking around the lab.

The creature chuckled warmly, "The Colonel was right about your fiery temper indeed! We will get you your clothing right away Ms. Mclain." He said, motioning one of the female yeti like creatures to bring Ember her gear and clothing.

"Ok, thats a start. But you didn't answer me, WHERE AM I AND WHERE IS KARL?!" Ember growled rudely, but The creature did not care.

"You are in the city of the Far Frozen and in the presence of it leader, Frostbite." The calm and collective voice of Karl Dael replied back to her. "So please be civil my dear…"

"CIVIL?! I'M FUCKING NAKED IN FRONT OF ALL OF THESE GUYS! I'LL SHOW YOU CIVIL KRAUT!" Ember insulted Karl, who gave caring smile.

"She's such fascinating young girl, don't you concur my furry friend?" Karl asked Frostbite with a warm chuckle before the two began to laugh.

"Indeed Colonel! But I believe we have unfinished business to discuss about my map." Frostbite replied in a serious tone.

"Of Course sir, But first I must ask. How is the wishgranter holding up?" Karl asked as he turned his attention to Desiree.

"Desiree is recovering at a slow rate, but never the less she is healing." Frostbite replied as the female yeti released Ember and allowed her to dress in another room.

"Good… Good…" Karl said as he walked with Frostbite out of the medical area.

Ember walked out from a near by room in her trade mark black revealing clothing and skull boots to a room full of busy yeti people as they worked and monitored vitals and data endlessly. She looked for Karl and Frostbite, but was soon informed by the woman who attended to her that they were discussing business regarding the Infi-Map. The woman also informed her of there arrival some hours ago.

"The Colonel carried you and the wishgranter on his shoulder to the door of our leader, Frostbite. He's a kind man with a just heart I might add, especially when It came to your safety Ms. Mclain." She told Ember.

Ember rolled her eyes and walked out of the medical room where Karl and Frostbite were speaking outside in full view of the icy cliffs and mountains in the distance.

"Near the outskirts, toward the Fjord is where we us engage them." Karl said, pointing toward the eastern portion of the Far Frozen. "There is enough cover for our troops and caverns for your people to escape once the large brutes appear. Then we detonate the charges, cutting them off from the heavy assault forces and leaving the scrubs for the machine guns."

"It sounds like a sound plan Colonel," Frostbite concurred. "But what will you be using to prevent Pariah's forces from simply bypassing your troops in the field and Fjord?"

"I contacted my superiors in the mortal world and my other home country is lending my Kampfgruppen (Battle Group) four batteries (16 guns in Total) of 88mm Flak guns for this venture of mine. Along with four batteries small quad 20mm guns to support them. Combined with your peoples ability to form weapons from ice on the spot, If we concentrate our fire on them we can force them to take cover in the Fjord to shield themselves from the Flak. From there, your people and my troops can ambush them from the caves surrounding the Fjord. That will draw out the large ones for the charges on the icy walls..." Karl told him with confidence. "Technus will control the gun's and the radar unit as well, so focusing will not be an issue at all. I know that mad man will modify my guns for automatic fire, so this shall be a blood bath in the skies..."

"Technus is willing to work with you, Colonel. He's willing, but rather reluctantly because of your reputation. Regardless of this, He is will to serve you until the battle is either lost or won." Frostbite replied as his men traveled to the prison to retrieve the tech savvy entity.

"I hope he can work with quality Belkan (German) made equipment rather than these cheap computers he loves so much." Karl said with pride when he spoke of the quality of Belkan/German made materials.

"Technus has shown his worth here with my people, primarily in the building and programing of computer systems. He rather enjoys it here with the Far Frozen, but captivity has proven rather unbearable for him. This war is giving him a new purpose, as it has for everyone here… Even you, Colonel." Frostbite said wisely.

Karl gave a reluctant grin that faded away quickly, He wasn't smiling because of his titles as "Mithras" or the rare title of "The Black Hunter". The grin of a realist was what dawned on the soldiers face… Karl knew many things about War, about Conflict, and about struggle itself. What he knew was this, "War is the Logical Conclusion to everything, since everything in life is based in strife and struggle. Thus we must fight on for not only the existence of our brothers and sisters, but for our own existence as well. To carry on in the face of adversity is the sigh of high purpose…"  
This quote was foretold by his dear friend and father figure Erich Zorin when he served with his Division, The 1st IG (Iron Guard) Panzer Division "Dinsmark", in the major battle for the city of Sonthofen. Even after his return to his own world, These words still rang true with Karl ears… Along with the wise words of his own dearly departed Father.

"Thank you comrade…" Karl said, touched by the creature's simple kindness. "But I digress, Your people will only play a minor role in this attack. I do not wish to have your people blood on my hands…"

"I take comfort in knowing that your not willing to sacrifice my people, Colonel. But you must remember that we are defending our home and that we have no where else to go." Frostbite said with a smile as he place his one good hand on Karl's shoulder. Like a proud mentor or Father, Frostbite gave an approving nod as he continued.

"I admire your willingness to protect my people as well as you yourself. You remind me of a young lad I meet only a year ago." Frostbite said, referring to the young Halfa Danny Phantom.

Karl gave a thankful smile and a nod, "It's the eagles standard." He replied with honor, Referring to the knightly code of the Iron Guard laid down by the Belkan Knights (Look up Templar Code of Chivalry) known as the Eagles Standard.

"No my friend, I believe that is your soul speaking for itself rather than a code of Chivalry." Frostbite replied confidently. Karl didn't reply, only giving an approving smile and turned around to see Ember standing behind them.

"Ember darling! I didn't see you there! How are you doing?" Karl asked in surprise to see Ember behind him.

"You got to stop saving my skin Babypop, I won't be able to keep track of all the favors I owe you." She said with a slightly flirtatious tone.

Karl rolled his eyes playfully, "It's what I do."

"Colonel, I believe our conversation has ended on a rather good note. I believe we understand our ends of our agreement, yes?" Frostbite interjected.

Karl nodded, "Indeed, but first I need one thing… The Infi-map." Karl said with a serious tone. "Then I will retrieve your wares from the fleet." Frostbite nodded rather hesitantly and preceded to retrieve the map from the Vault near by.

Ember looked at him with an impressed look on his face, "I guess you work fast don't you?"

Karl nodded with a smug smile, "Somewhat." He said with a sarcastic shrug. "Getting to know people has it's perks, along with knowing both the living Halfa's. As well as eliminating some of the most militias ghosts with in the zone…"

"What were you talking about back their?" Ember interjected, knowing that there was more than Karl led on and embellished.

"(Impressed grunt) Your catching on quick." Karl responded with a slight chuckle. "Well after a long discussion on politics, ethics, a few jokes to ease the tension, and a lengthily conversation with Claudia and my old friend Erich. Frostbite and I came to an agreement on one thing."

"And that would be?" Ember asked with annoyed tone as Karl droned on with pointless detail.

"That above all, we both despise Pariah. With that being said we have formed an alliance between my Kampfgruppe and his people in order to hold the realm of the far frozen. If this realm falls, then the whole zone is lost." Karl replied gravely.

"What about the others? The other places around the Ghost Zone?" Ember asked, dreading the answer.

"Fallen, besieged, razed, or all the above. The only the far froze, Clockwork's fortress, and Acropolis of Athens are the only realms left. Clockwork is, well, untouchable and we here in the Far frozen are the only thing that is keeping Athens away from total annihilation." Karl explained, "But Athens has gone dark and from what frostbite relayed to me from some of the more 'esteemed' members of the Athenian high counsel. 'We refuse to ally ourselves with someone with the qualities of the outcast Mithras and a sadist.'"

"So in other words it's us against the world?" Ember summed it up.

"Cut off from the main force, caught deep behind enemy lines, without back up. Just another day fighting with the order." Karl said sarcastically, but with hints of truth that sent chills down his back.

"Just another day?! JUST ANOTHER DAY?!" Ember exploded, finally at the breaking point of Karl's nonchalant and arrogant attitude. "JUST ANOTHER FUCKING DAY EH, YOU ARROGANT BASTARD! You just... You just stand their all high and mighty with your fancy coat and heater (Gun) like your Van Hellsing or the Halfa himself! What the fuck is your deal!? Are you looking to get yourself fucking killed?!" She screamed in a mix of anger, angst, sadness, and fear.

"Calm down." Karl replied in a deadpan tone as he pulled a cigarette from his coat.

"Who... The Fuck... Do you think... YOU ARE!?" Ember screamed, her anger melting the ice at her feet into a pool of slush.

"Colonel Dael," Frostbite responded warmly as he interrupted Ember's ranting. "I would like to bestow to you the Infi-map." He said as he knelled down to present the infi-map to Karl. "Use it wisely Colonel."

"Jawohl, Herr Frostbeulen (Frostbite)." Karl replied, Honored that he would hand over the map in such a knightly way.

Taking the map in his hands like a holy relic, Karl closed his eyes and gripped the map title as his energy flowed through the map itself...

"Bring me my army..." He said in a deadpan tone...

The map flew into the air and opened a large portal between the Zone and the Human world...

* * *

With in minutes, a rag tag Battalion of troops poured through the portal and began to take up positions around the area with rifles at hand. Some carried themselves like rookies while a majority moved swiftly and searched around for enemies around them. Tword the middle were the black uniformed Vulture Gruppe with the heavily armed Shock troops moving sluggishly toward more favorable ground before their armor caused them to sink in the snow. As the last of the infantry stormed through the portal like bats out of hell, the Heavy Flak 88 and Light quad 20mm Flak 36 Anti-Aircraft guns, along with control trailers, came through the portal with Blue coated Belkan Air Force personal towing them behind SDK-7 8 ton half tracks with more Grenadiers piled with in the seats. Three familiar figures and another larger one sat in the lead halftrack, but all wore the same fur lined anorak of the Italian pattern...

The figures stepped out from the halftrack as it passed by Karl and Ember. The lead figure was a tall man wearing goggles with a thick rabbits fur hat with Field Marshals shoulder boards, which Karl promptly saluted and addressed with "Field Marshal Zorin! Please to see you again!"

Zorin removed his hood and goggles to get a better look at his old comrade. The old warrior smiled and let his hand to shake his surrogate son's hand, "No need for formalities, My Son." Zorin said in a fatherly tone as he shook hands with the now Colonel Karl Dael before bring him in for a hug. "My Have you grown! A full Colonel and not even thirty years young. Gott in Himmel! (God in heaven)." He chuckled.

"Danke Erich, It's been awhile hasn't it? Just look at yourself Herr Field Marshall!" Karl said happily as he caught up with his former commander in fluent German. But the other two figures interrupted the two German speaking officers by removing their hoods.

"Claudia! Danny!" Karl said happily as he shook their hands and greeted them. Frostbite greeted Danny by "The Great One" and began to chat warmly with one another. The larger figure was the ghost hunter Skulker, a name that Ember wished she could have erased from the zone, who didn't speak much about anything other than the freezing cold of the Far frozen. This soon changed once Karl came onto the topic of the coming war...

* * *

_**Sometime later…**_

* * *

After awhile briefing Erich on the situation, he began giving orders to the Kampfgruppe to begin digging in and setting up the Flak pieces in key area's around the exit of the Fjord. "Come on you shit bagging pioneers! My grandmother can dig faster than you!" (Pioneers were the German Combat engineers) Erich yelled at the Engineers as they dug trenches and marched off supervise the building. While frostbite began rallying his warriors for the coming battle against the dark army.

Technus was reluctant at first to be working with Karl face to face, but after sometime and introduction to the Flak guns he changed his mind. Especially after gaining the title of _A__rtilleriefuhrer (Battery Commander) _and the temporary rank of Captain. The Belkan troops admired Technus because of the way he treated their 88's, He thought of them as almost his children of some kind and made sure that they were place in such away that he could use them in the best possible way. His upgrades to the guidance of the guns, the proxy fuse ammunition, and radar were a little much for the Belkan troopers. But they trusted the ghost regardless.

Desiree awoke sometime later and joined the group as the defenses began to take a more organized shape with trenches, MG nests, mortar pits, and mine fields stretching to the exit of the Fjord that lead to the city of the far frozen itself. The trench lines shielded the city itself, as did the Flak gun's who were placed on Ice platforms with enough field of view of the ground to allow the guns to fire at ground targets. Desiree began granting wishes in the form of more ammunition for the Flak guns and aided Technus in the modification of the guns by giving him more materials to work with.

Leaving only Claudia, Danny, Skulker, and Karl left to deal with the other half of Karl's deal….

Opening the Infi-Map, Karl found the location of Youngblood's fleet just twenty miles from their position heading for the edge of the Ghost Zone...

"Right now, we are looking at attacking a whole fleet that is carrying the same gear as my Kampfgruppe or better." Karl explained as he ran down the visions Clockwork gave him. "What we can do is hit them hard and fast from below them. But we need a distraction…"

"I'll run the distraction," Skulker volunteered. "I'm faster than I look, along with the bounty on Plasmious's head would be a wonderful pay off indeed…"

"Whatever happens, happens. But what I want is two things, Frostbites relics and I want the Little dark one back." Karl replied seriously.

"Wait… Vlad is back and he has who?" Danny asked, shocked and confused at Karl's reply.

"Yes and he's speaking of Dani, the little girl version of you." Claudia replied to his question. "It's a long story."

"Alright Alright, Claudia I want you to say here and run communications between us and the Kampfgruppe. Danny and Ember, your with me. Stick close and don't touch the capital ship. Skulker, once enough ships are sunk join us in the devastation. We're going to need all the fire power we can." Karl ordered. "Questions?"

No said a word and gave a large grin, besides Danny who wore the look of uncertainty on his face… Could the Halfa, a true hero, work with such shady characters such as Karl and Claudia. Not mention his own enemies… But someone noticed his uncertainty and locked her hand with him...

"Everything will be fine Dipstick…" Ember said in a soft and caring tone, a tone that Danny could barely believe come from Ember.

"I hope so..." He said as he held her hand tightly against his. Everyone grabbed the map and with one thought, whisked them away toward the edge of the Zone.


	13. Chapter 13: Retribution

_**I bring you yet another chapter :) I hope you enjoy this chapter full of action! Oh and before you read, In the first section I make reference to a series called "Grim Tales" about Aku city and anonymous buyer. This buyer is Mandy from Grim Tales. It's a great web comic and I recommend it to anyone. **_

_**Please Read and Review :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

_**Near the Edge of the Zone...**_

* * *

"My oh my, look at the beauty of oblivion in front of us my new chum." Vlad said smugly as he gazed out into the deep unknown of the Zone. "Though the asteroids are a little thick this time of year, the Strait seems to be at least plausibly traversal-able to reach the Divide."

The strait, Other wise known as "The Divide", was the defiant edge of the Ghost Zone that separates the zone itself from other universe with in the Underworld. Vlad studied the subject of "The Divide" since he began his life as a ego maniacal super villain, but left the idea of traveling to "The Divide" after his hostel takeover of the Zone and the World itself. Some of the stories point that once you reach The Divide, you will be sent to Limbo to await your departure to either Hell itself or spend the rest of your forsaken life with in Limbo. Bullet, his new partner, mentioned to their boss, Alexander Coelian, that one way out of the Zone without the use of the portals was the Divide. Bullet himself traveled through the divide many times before toward another level of Hell known as "Aku". In the city was a contact of his known as "Demongo", a once powerful figure with in the city until a mishap demoted him to nothing but a jester, would give them passage to the human realm via another portal near the most southern half of the Earth in Antarctic.

Vlad was a bit apprehensive about traveling to the divide, but the amount of Gold, Sliver, Diamonds, and technology that filled the cargo bays of all nine of the more smaller vessels with in Captain Youngblood's fleet. The Flagship, A large Ironclad "Man-Of-War" known as The Gambit, carried a more precious cargo in the form of Ghostly relics for an anonymous buyer, portable ghost portal for high ranking members of Coelian's conspirators, and most precious of all….

Danielle "Dani" Phantom… The Little Dark One.

"Indeed, but I believe we might have trouble soon." Bullet replied grimly as he put his cell phone away.

"In what form? Pariah or Valerie grey?" Vlad replied nonchalantly. "Oh wait! Pariah's army is under the control of the Fright Knight, who's in my pocket! Valerie Grey? Haha Walker is keeping her and her battalion at the prison until we exit the Ghost Zone!" Vlad continued in a arrogant and smug tone.

Bullet shook his head, "No Vlad, Walker is no longer with us. Gunned down in the hallway by the Black Hunter himself…"

"Impossible!" Vlad exclaimed, but soon grunted in anger and shrugged off the news. "No matter… We're far out of his reach…" He said with a sinister grin.

Bullet reluctantly agreed as Vlad turned around and his way toward rear of the ship. "I'll be with Little Dani in the brig. Why don't you, I don't know, take in the sites or maybe order around that snot nosed punk's minions around?" Vlad said with a chuckle as he spoke with his hands and walked away from Bullet.

"Freak..." Bullet said contemptuously as he leaned against the railing as two pirates passed by with Browning Auto 5 "Whip-It" Sawed off shotguns. "Hey Bullet! The boys are going down to the galley for a few drinks and a card game! Join us!" One pirate said. "Aye! Their be Grug and beauties! Join us!" His friend replied.

"I'm fine. I'm going to haunt around the deck for a bit, Give the captain my regards will ya?" Bullet replied with a grown.

"Aye Aye!" The two said as they trumped off toward the lower decks of the Gambit. Leaving Bullet the only man on deck...

* * *

_**Near by...** _

* * *

"Wow, Youngblood wasn't kidding about having a fleet of ships!" Danny examined in surprise as Karl, Ember, and Himself laded in wait on a near by piece of rubble as the fleet passed in the distance.

"Readings show a large force in the hulls of each ship, But the large guns on the decks are still manned." Claudia replied through the radio.

"Heavy black powder cannon and Browning quad .50 turrets... Great." Karl replied as he looked through a pair of Fenton-Binoculars.

"Where's tin can at? Should he be attacking those ships by now?!" Ember asked impatiently as she tuned her guitar up for battle.

The screaming of jet engines echoed around them as a sliver and green streak of light sorrowed above them. "There he is..." Danny replied.

"About damn time!" Ember groaned as they watched Skulker unleash a barrage of Rockets on two of the smaller lead ships. Turning them into burning hulks that crashed into near by rubble in a fantastic display of carnage. Skulker's maniacal laughter filled the sky as he made another pass at another ship, but was met by a wall of lead from the Quad .50's mounted on the decks of the ships.

The thunder of explosions and the rattle of gun fire painted a smile on Karl's face for all the right reasons... "Their not paying attention to their flanks..." Karl grunted with a smile and a dark chuckle as he stood up onto the rocks to prepare launch himself head long into the fight.

"This is where experience pays off, Follow me!" He said coolly as he jumped into the obsess with Eyes and hands burning bright blue, flying just below the hulls of the ships as they sailed through the Zone. Ember and Danny jumped together and followed close behind, wondering if the Colonel was still in his right mind. Ember was still scorned over Karl's rather quick dumping of her for a pipe dream that was that Dusk girl, but deep down she knew it was for the best. After all they were two different people, both physically and mentally... but she couldn't help but wonder 'What-if' like all beings do. Danny on the other hand was rather distrusting of the strange Colonel since they last met, but didn't doubt his abilities for even a second.

"Hey Dipstick..." Ember said quietly as they slowly caught up with the Colonel.

"Yeah Ember?" Danny asked, caught a little off guard as they flew.

"Do you think we're going to make it through all this mess? The Ships, Pariah, and everything?" She asked Innocently as they flew, taking Danny's hand to comfort herself as the idea of losing her life again shook her to the core.

"I... I don't know..." Danny said as the realization hit him like a ton of brinks, The Realization that Ember, Karl, and maybe even himself wouldn't make it home this time.

"If it... If it ends the way you think it will... I want to say..." Ember said, studding with fear and embarrassment as she cussed and kicked herself over her own weakness. "I want to say that... That I've enjoyed having you around baby-pop..."

Danny turned red with embarrassment and tighten his grip on Embers hand which made her feeling the same. The two couldn't help but stare into one another's eyes as they held each other hands tightly. "I've... Enjoyed you too Ember..." Danny said, stumbling over his words as he admired the beauty of the last girl he'll ever see.

"Form up!" Karl yelled as he paused for a moment to wait for the two love birds. "Loves in the air, I know! But so is lead! Form up now!"

Ember grunted and turned red with embarrassment, as did Danny, and joined with Karl as they slowly flew below the ships as Skulker took out another ship with a barrage of rockets and machine gun fire. "Three out of Ten! (Confidant Laughter) Another one for the locker, eh?!" Karl shouted confidently as he charged up his powers.

"Aren't you a little cold blooded?" Danny asked scornfully as he looked at the smirk on Karl's face.

"Cold blooded? No not me…" Karl replied in an innocent tone, but soon shifted toward that of a sadist. "I get rather worked up." He said before charging toward two of the closest ships, blasting them out of the sky from below and setting them ablaze. Ember and Danny looked at each other in confusion, but soon followed Karl's lead and began attacking everything besides the Flag ship.

"Skulker, Anything of value to the Far Frozen in these ships?" Karl called over the radio as explosions filled the sky and tracers lit up the darkness of the Ghost Zone.

"Nothing. Only tech and some gold." Skulker replied calmly as another ships fell to his rockets.

"Take whatever you like Mercenary, It doesn't matter to me." Karl said coldly, "But If you find some booze or a cigarettes I'll gladly take them!" Karl replied with a chuckle as he gunned down another freighter.

Skulker only gave a confidant chuckle and wished through another shipwreck to begin his looting. "Danny, How is everything?!" Karl called into the radio.

"Peachy! But we're taking a pounding from those pirates on the flagship!" Danny replied as the rhythmic sounds of rifle and machine gun fire echoed in the background, as well as blasts from Ember's guitar.

"(Confidant laughter) We're kicking the shit out of them!" Karl yelled in cheer as another ship went down.

* * *

_**On the Deck of The Gambit...**_

* * *

"You fucking idiots!" Bullet screamed at Youngblood's crew as they fired wildly into the air at the screaming jet fighter that was Skulker. The pirates couldn't hit the side of the ship if they tried as they fired from the hip, sending tracers into the sky like a light show. Bullet ran to the nearest high point with his laser gauntlet.

Skulker swooped in for yet another death blow toward another one his ships, but the incompetence of these rookies made him predictable...

Bullet lead his target, aiming for his wings and engines to bring him down once and for all. With a single pull of the trigger the pinkish ray flew straight and true, ripping off Skulkers left wing, engine, and elevator. Causing him to spin out of control...

"Got one!" Bullet cheered.

* * *

_**In the Skies...**_

* * *

"Fuck! Skulker, eject! Eject!" Karl howled over the radio as he watched Skulker vainly attempt to control his jetpack.

"I Can't!" He replied back, "But I can at least take one with me!"

Karl grunted in rage and flew into the open at break neck speeds to rescue his comrade in arms… Under heavy fire from everything from pistols to .50 Cal rounds, Karl managed to reach his friend to save him. Taking Skulker's arm, He tried to lift the heavy steel body of his suit. But the speed he was traveling, the threat of flak, and the stubbornness of Skulker to abandon his body made it hard for Karl to save him.

"YOU FUCKING FOOL, WORK WITH ME HERE OR YOUR GOING TO SEE THE DEVIL HIMSELF!" Karl shouted into Skulker's ear, knowing that Skulker was nothing but a little green blob inside that suit. "No! I can't! I refuse!" Skulker protested.

"AHHHGHG!" Karl grunted loudly as the lead ship drew ever close to them, "For FUCK SAKES!" Karl yelled again, finally done with Skulkers unwillingness to abandon his body. With a single trust, Karl broke through the bodies face and ripped the little blob out of his suit and place him in his coat pocket before abandoning the body.

"Why did you do that!?" The squeaky voiced blob known as Skulker whaled, but soon retracted his comment as his body began to catch fire and crash into the side of the Gambit destroying it's cannons on the port side.

"All ships are crippled or burning Karl! Where's Skulker?" Danny called over the radio with joy.

Karl smirked at Skulker as he poked his tiny head from his coat pocket, "Malfunction in his suit, He had to break off and return to the Far Frozen to Make repairs." Karl replied, coving for Skulker.

"Thank you…" Skulker said thankfully.

"Kein Problem Kameraden (No Problem Comrade)." Karl replied coolly before dodging a burst of .50cal rounds. "You think you can turn the both us intangible?! I'm getting sick of these .50's buzzing in my ear!"

"I think so!" Skulker said, feeling inadequate and unsure of himself.

"THEN FUCKING DO IT!" Karl shouted as a .50cal rounds grazed his face and tore his sleeves and coat tails.

Skulker pressed his little body against Karl's body and with all of his strength made the both of them intangible, just as a burst of 12.7mm machine gun fire drew a beed on them. "Haha! Worthless dogs! Good work comrade!" Karl said with cheer and he drives toward the turrets with pistol in hand. Placing his shots carefully, Karl killed the gunners for the AA guns at the bow of the ship. "Storm the decks! Danny! Ember! Macht Schnell!" Karl shouted into the Radio as Skulker returned their tangibility.

The Pirates fired their guns with the precision of a blind dog, In other words shitty, but enough so that Karl had to take cover from the fire. Ember cleared a majority of the Deck with a magnificent riff from her sonic wave setting on her guitar, throwing the Pirates into the abyss below...

Danny cleared the the aft of the ship with his ecto energy blasts from his hands until finally the deck was clear. Scattered around the deck were old and new weapons from various countries and origins. German MP-40/41's, Russian AK-47's and PPSH's, America Thompson and Grease guns, Shotguns, rifles, and machine guns of all nationality and maker. Majority of the Pirates wore the standard mismatch of pirate garbs and rags as expected, but some were camouflaged smocks and steel helmets of the american variety with the symbol of brimstone crossed out with a red slash.

Karl growled in rage, cringing his fists and toes with his eyes flaming with the fire of a scorn and betrayal, as he walked forward at a brisk pace toward the aft. Taking a PPSH-41 as his temporary weapon and holstering his Mauser, Karl began to scourer the dead for ammunition and grenades for the close quarters fight below. "Ember, watch the deck and keep anyone and anything off this ship." Karl ordered as he picked up another PPSH off the ground and tossed it to Dany. "Danny with me and make sure not to shoot your foot off, alright?"

Danny stumbled, but caught the light SMG in his hands. "Thanks… but I don't use guns." He shrugged as he laid the PPSH on the ground in front of him. Karl rolled his eyes and pushed on toward the entrance with Danny coming close behind reluctantly. Before he set off he turned to Ember, "Be careful, ok?" He told Ember in a sweet voice. Ember blushed and gave a small smirk, "You too Dipstick… You too…" She replied in the same sweet tone.

"What do you think this is, A Children's party?! Get your ass in gear halfa!" Karl ordered as he reached the door and unleashed a long burst into it's wooden frame and center before kicking in the door.

Danny grunted, leaving Ember alone on deck as he and Karl marched down the stairs...

* * *

_**Below Deck near the**_** Brig...**

* * *

"What's taking so long gramps?" Youngblood spat as he grabbed the bars to the brig once more and was shot back by the shield that surrounded the bars.

"Nothing really child, but I would watch how you speak to me before I dump you into the abyss like our guests have done upstairs with your men." Vlad remarked coldly and Smugly.

"I've matured beyond me years! Just wait till I get out of here and give you… Give you! Uhhh, Whats the word?" Youngblood spat and turned to his parrot to give him some aid on Pirate lingo.

"Flogging." The parrot replied annoyingly.

"Yeah! I'll give you a flogging!" Youngblood replied confidently.

"Yeah and Vlad will ring you out like a dirty rag…" Dani replied smugly pissing off Youngblood, which made Dani laugh.

"Watch it wench!" Youngblood spat, causing the two to argue without end.

Vlad rolled his eyes and walked out of the brig to let the two argue with each other. Bullet soon barged in with the look of exasperation on his face, "Masters! The Hunter, The Halfa, and the siren have made it through the lower decks and are heading here!" He yelled as the buzzing and chatter of a PPSH caught their attention.

"Then don't just stand there! Get the portal ready before they..." Vlad yelled before a burst riled through the bulkhead in front of them followed by a tall coated figure kicking in the door with a smoking 'Pe-Pe-Sha' (Nickname for the PPSH-41) clutched in his hands. Behind him was an old enemy of his, The Halfa, Daniel Fenton.

"Ahh Daniel so nice to see you..." Vlad said as he took a step toward the two, but the coated figure fired a Burst at Vlad's feet making him jump backwards in fear. "I don't have time for your banter fool, you know me and him and vice versa. Let the girl and the punk go before have to get belligerent." The figured warned him coldly.

"Karl Dael, ahh yes... I Remember you." Vlad said smugly as he watched the smoke from the SMG rise into the air.

"Like wise, Now on your knees before I have to waste more bullets on you and your friend." Karl said harshly before turning his attention to Bullet, Drawing his Mauser pistol with his left hand and held the SMG by only his right hand for a split second before firing into Bullet's skull. "But I've always been one for conservation..." Karl replied coldly as he holstered his pistol and properly held the SMG once again.

"Aren't you the violent one?" Vlad asked smugly as he put his hands above his head. "Don't you think I won't just turn invisible or intangible and just escape?"

"One, I have Aura sense, and Two I'm just begging for your to try and escape the hell of the Divide or maybe even the wrath of Pariah since you and the gentleman on floor here decided to awaken him. Either way, your not going to make it out alive." Karl told him bluntly before he smacked Vlad with the butt of the PPSH against his jaw. "Your best bet is to tell me what in the name of fuck is your angle in all this? I know Coelian's beef with me, but you... Your different aren't you Masters?"

Vlad snickered malevolently, "Simple... To draw in my enemies and wipe him out without cavil. The raiding of the Ghost Zone's riches is just away to get back my fortune, along with the delivery of relics..."

Karl looked at him questionably and shoved the barrel into Vlad's face, "Tell me... Do you have it?"

"Have what?" Vlad asked smugly.

"You know what I mean... Die Fahne... The blood flag..." Karl said quietly as his eyes turned bright teal as he spoke of the holiest of Relics to the Thule people.

Vlad nodded and Karl soon removed the barrel of his gun from his face. "Take me to it... and we'll decided from there..." Karl said coldly as he picked up the blue skinned Halfa. "Danny, open the portal and get Dani out of here."

"Got it Karl." Danny replied as he phased through the door to the brig.

Karl escorted Vlad to the vault aboard the Gambit at gun point, something that Vlad never planned on having to contend with in his life. "You know you remind me so much of a young lad I met on my travels across the country..." Vlad rambled, but Karl ignored him and pushed the barrel of the PPSH into his back. "Do you have a brother, Dear Karl? A Sister perhaps?"

"Ja." Karl said coldly, not letting his guard down for even a moment.

"Ahh yes... Rodrick and Shella, Yes?" Vlad responded with a friendly, yet condescending look on his face.

"Where are you going with this?" Karl asked him, pushing Vlad forward with the PPSH.

"I know where they are and I am will to strike a deal with you on the matter." Vlad told him slyly.

"First, Die Fahne. Then we will talk business." Karl said shrewdly as they reached a large vault. Vlad opened the vault with the use of a key card, the same model of card used by Gigagen employees, and the large metal door opened to reveal a large room with relics covered by glass cases. Karl recognized some of these relics as he walked by them, The Skeleton Key, Scarab Scepter, Pandora's box, and countless others that were plundered from the destroyed realms all over the Zone.

"In the confusion, we made a few stops... Including to Athens." Vlad explained, "There is where we found the flag you speak of..."

Vlad pointed to the wall where a large glass frame held the banner that once was draped around Mithras shoulders... It was torn, ratty, faded, and cover in the blood of the heroes that once carried it into battle. Karl pushed Plasmius aside, dropping the Pe-Pe-Sha on the ground in the process, as he walked toward the banner as it sat peacefully in its case. He stood in awe at the beauty of the war torn flag in front of him, like a child seeing his first African elephant or a mighty armored beast like a Panzer in a museum for the first time. Placing his hand on the glass case he could feel the energy of the Die Fahne flow through the glass and into him.

"What is your propitiation?" Karl asked Vlad as he gaze upon Die Fahne.

"Simple, you let me go and continue on with my quest of returning from Exile. You and Daniel can leave with Danielle without hassle as well as taking the Flag with you..." Vlad said with an evil smile as he placed his hands behind his back.

The little blob that was Skulker changed himself invisible and flew behind Plasmius. In his hand was a small object with a red button on top of it... Skulker's eyes turned wide as he knew what this object was, 'Detonator...' Skulker thought to himself.

"So what do you say, Karl?" Vlad asked as he placed his thumb over the trigger of the detonator.

"NOOO!" Skulker yelled in his tiny voice as he attacked Vlad.

Karl turned around and drew his pistol as the scene of Skulker ripping into Vlad's face with his tiny hands unfolded in front of him. "Shit! Skulker, keep him busy!" Karl yelled as he smashed the glass with his pistol and draped it around his shoulders. Vlad ripped Skulker off of his face to reveal a disfigured man boiling with rage, "YOUR NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Vlad scream in a blood rage as he torched Skulker with a single blast of his ecto-ray, killing him instantly before Karl could have reacted.

"YOU PIG!" Karl yelled as he fired three rounds into Vlad's chest, causing him to fall to the ground and land on the detonator.

A series of explosions rocked the Gambit with a thunderous shock wave... Sirens waled across the ship, "Emergency! Emergency!" The alarm called, But Karl ignored them and rushed to Vlad to interrogate him... But Vlad was gone... Gone for good, but his Key-card wasn't.

Karl ran through the door, abandoning everything but the flag on his shoulders with Pistol in hand. "Danny!" Karl shouted as he reached the brig, dodging flames and fire as the ship destroyed itself from the self-destructed sequence Vlad activated.

"Karl! I can't get the shield down! It needs a code!" Danny yelled from the brig as Karl barged through the door to the sight of a passed out Youngblood and Dani. Thinking quickly, Karl scanned the card and deactivated the shield.

"Take the brat in the pirate get up and I'll get Dani!" Karl yelled as he rapped his Blue and White scarf around Dani's neck before he cradled her in his arms. Danny reluctantly took Youngblood and his parrot over his shoulder and phased the four of them through the ship to the main deck where Ember stood with a surprising figure...

"Mithras! Get on my steed Nightmare at once! Make great hast!" The Fright Knight called to Karl.

"THE FRIGHT KNIGHT!?" Danny yelled as he charged up his ecto-blasts.

"Danny! He's with us now! Chill!" Ember yelled to him.

"FOR FUCK SAKES PEOPLE! LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DEFECTOR WHEN WE'RE NOT ABOUT TO DIE HERE!" Karl shouted as he mounted Nightmare with Dani.

"On word!" The Knight yelled as his steed flew into the sky just in the nit of time. The fire aboard the Gambit hit the magazine, where they keep the ammunition, and caused the ship to explode into a titanic fire ball behind them.

* * *

_**Few hours later... Just a few miles from the Far Frozen...**_

* * *

The hours past by rather slow as the awkwardness of riding the stallion of your enemy still stayed fresh in the air. Dani awoke sometime later with a mix of thankfulness and scorn at the sight of Karl and Ember, but after noticing the scarf around her neck and the news of Ember and Karl's break up made her think otherwise. Her and Karl made up rather quick, even more so since Vlad died at his hands.

But one thing the group did not understand was why the Fright Knight was aiding them in their escape from the edge of the Zone.

"Alright Fright Knight, What's going on?" Danny asked the Knight hostile.

"I do not have to answer to a whelp like you, I only speak to those of the same class as myself." The Knight replied arrogantly, which pissed both Danny and Ember off.

"Then you should be answering my question, correct?" Karl asked, hoping that the knight would recognize his rank of Colonel.

"Of Course! We are the Elite of our forces and are Knights in our own ranks as well!" The Fright Knight answered honorably.

"Good then. Now tell me this, What are you doing aiding your enemies? Or this your defection?" Karl asked him respectfully.

"I am not aiding my enemies and neither is this a defection, I am aiding my allies as you see." The Fright Knight explained. "Clockwork was right about Pariah... Since Clockwork has taken notice of you, I must serve you as it will return the balance to the Ghost Zone."

"In other words you realized his was nothing but an Asshole?" Ember replied harshly.

"Silence!" The Knight scowled, but soon sighed. "Yes... He refused to allow I, the general of his legions of darkness, to lead his forces to victory. He would rather increase his own power than conquer..."

"I don't blame you my friend," Karl said with a smirk. "We're meant to lead, not follow. That I can understand completely. But now since we have Die Fahne we can win this war..."

"Then you will need this." The fright knight said as he reached into his saddle bag and revived a large cloth of some kind. Karl could feel something heavy with in it and soon found that it was covering up another familiar object.

Rapped with the blanket was the very sword used by Mithras to remove Sigmund's Heart...

"The Millennium sword was used by Mithra all those years ago..." The fright knight told Karl. "He kept it in his possession since his fathers death, before I liberated it from his possession before for my resignation."

Karl removed the sheath of the sword slightly to reveal the untouched blade of the Claymore, "It's beautiful my new friend..." Karl replied to the Fright Knight in awe of the swords beauty before he attached it to his belt.

"Your going to need the power of both the flag and the sword for the coming battle, Mithras..." The Fright Knight warned him. "Pariah himself will be leading his army this time... Your going to need everything you've got to defeat him..."

"Then we're going to need you as well, my friend." Karl replied to him. "Danny, Dani, and Ember, That goes double for you three as well. Maybe even for Captain snot-nose well and who we can find. I need you two to round up anyone who can fight for this one."

"You got it baby-pop!" Ember said confidently as Danny took her hand. "We got it." Danny replied as he handed Youngblood to Karl as they reached the far froze.

Dani looked to him worryingly as she gazed over all the armed men and heavy guns surrounding the City of the Far Frozen, "Karl... What's going on?"

Karl turned to her as they touched ground and dismounted, "Preparation, my dear, Preparation." He replied calm and coolly.

* * *

Pariah Dark, The now Lord of Ghosts, gazed over his army of over 50,000 Brutes and skeletons as they flew in formation toward the Far Frozen...

"Do not allow anyone to stand in your way, my minions." Pariah called to them as his brutes carried him on his Throne. "I want only three things from each of you... LOOT All, BURN All, and KILL ALL!" He shouted with maniacal laughter as they sight of the Far frozen drew near...


	14. Chapter 14: No Going Back Now

_**BIG BATTLE CHAPTER, Trust me it's going to be a worthy read and I love that I'm getting some reviews from fans and I want to say that I thank you for reviews :) :)**_

_**Over all DoD is due for two more chapters and it is going to be finished :)**_

_**Thank you all for coming and reading my work :) Please R&R and or F&F**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Karl and the Fright Knight rejoined with Field Marshall Zorin as they finished the inspection of the troops and defensive positions around the city. Danny and Ember returned sometime before with a miss match of his old foes including Pointdexter, Spectra, Wulf, Dora, Johnny 13 and Shadow, and countless others that were chased out of their homes by Pariah's hordes to help with the final preparations for war. Spectra and Kitty worked closely with Claudia with in command and control at the city, Pointdexter was given the rank of Lieutenant and joined Technus in commanding the Flak guns, Dora and her brother acted as an air arm against anything Dragon wise that pariah could muster, and the rest were in reserve if the plan detonation of the Fjord jagged edges and ice bridges failed to destroying the brutes that would be attending this battle... Each man, woman, and ghost was given a responsibility in this war that descended upon them, Even the histarical box ghost was given a job as the Kampfgruppen Quartermaster!

Trench lines and Fox holes doted the froze wasteland, as did the ever present barrel of a rifle or a machine gun. Everyone in the Kampfgruppe wore winter camouflage and white washed their helmets or armor to give them at least a chance of blending in. The soliders of the 4th PG's lay in wait in their trenches with weapons in hand as the night drew closer...

Karl, Zorin, Frostbite, and the Fright Knight gathered around a table as the snow front began to steadily pick up around them. On the table was a detailed map of the Realm of the Far Frozen given to them by Frostbite. Next to the map was a scroll with the plans for Pariah's offensive into the Far Frozen, given to them by their new Ally The Fright Knight. Who informed them of the importance of holding the Far Frozen, Primarily that of preventing Pariah from reaching the Divide and the Gateway to the Bermuda Triangle...

"Pariah's main thrust is to come directly for the city itself, But the way your cannon's are positioned it would blunt their attack greatly." The Knight explained, pointing toward the Western end of the Realm on the map. "The weaker minions will act as a shield for the large and more powerful brutes in the rear, as well as to retain order among the minions in a time of crisis. If a small band of warriors attacks the brutes head on, with the support of your cannons, we can havoc among their ranks and draw the large brutes into the Fjord for the Ambush."

"Once in the Fjord the Far Frozen and the other ghosts will weaken them even more and draw the brutes away from their lesser beings." Zorin replied, guiding his finger through the Fjord. "Karl, I want Panzerschreck teams to accompany the Frozen into the Fjord as well as two fire teams from your Vulture group. The geists (Ghosts) are going to need those walking panzers of yours for extra support."

"Jawohl." Karl replied coolly before calling into the hand radio on the table for an assault group.

"Once they are occupied with our diversion, we will lead them under the ice bridges. There is where we will detonate the charges and crush them..." The Fright Knight replied, clenching his fist dramatically.

"The ruminates will we torn to tatters by our firepower." Karl replied with a smirk, confidant of victory.

"I wouldn't be so cocky, especially since Pariah is in possession of his father black heart." Frostbite warned them. "Pariah maybe a lacking as a tactician, but his father a general through and through. Be ready for the unexpected."

"Karl! Karl!" Ember called to him as she swooped in on her guitar with Danny Phantom at her side.

"Yes, yes, Go ahead." Karl replied, hoping that their recon mission yielded anything of value.

"Pariah's crew is almost here! You better get your butts in gear because it's going to be one hell of fight!" Ember yelled to everyone as she flew off to her post with Dora and Aragon in the skies above the Far Frozen.  
"Pariah's crew is coming at us with everything they have! Dragons, Catapults, archers, and everything!" Danny said in a panic.

"Get to your post and wait for our orders." Zorin told him coldly as Karl began to bark orders into the radio.

Through out the trenches the sounds of readied weapons echoed endlessly around them. The 2000 strong Ad Hoc Kampfgruppen of Vulture troops, Panzer Grenadiers, Yeiti's, and Ghost were the only force standing in the way of conquering the whole of the ghost zone. The pressure was eminence considering the fact that if they fell, then Athens would follow and nothing would stop them from reaching the gate to the Divide and the Bermuda Triangle...

Leading to Pariah's conquest reaching into the mortal world...

Karl jumped into a near by trench and began preparing his men for battle, even picking up an old Mauser K-98K rifle, the back bone of armies for decades until the introduction of Assault rifles, as his primary arm for the fight ahead. Around him were men of his old unit, The 4th PG's, who wore his name on their cuff titles. He gave a slight smile knowing that he was around his old comrades of the Verusean Continental War, It gave him relived knowing that he was around battle harden fighters such as they.

"Herr Standartenfuhrer," A young Scharfuhrer (Sargent) called to Karl with a flask of Brandy in his hand. "Ease you nerves?"

Karl smiled and took a large gulp of brandy to ease himself as the snow drift died down to reveal a long stretch of wasteland ending at the mountainous entrance to the Fjord just a few miles away. He looked around him to see some of the men praying to whatever they called god, while other smoked and drank like himself, or simply awaited the end with their fingers gripped tightly around the triggers of their rifles. After his drink, Karl looked into the sky to see the twinkling lights of the sibling dragons, Dora and Aragon, as they formed together with Danny and Ember for the first throw of the die…

* * *

_**In The Skies Above The Far Frozen...**_

* * *

Danny rode upon the back of Dora as they, along with Aragon and Ember flew toward last known position of Pariah's army. Ember flew just above Dora and landed on her back behind Danny.

"Danny…?" Ember asked Danny, unsure of calling him by his name.

"Yeah Ember?" Danny asked her innocently.

"Do you think we will make it back?" She replied worryingly, bushing her bangs away from her face nervously.

"I… I don't… I don't know Ember." Danny confessed. "I think that… This is the first time where I just don't know whats going to happen this time. I can't think at all… This might be the last time we see anyone anymore."

Ember looked to the oblivion below and then looked back up at Danny. She noticed the beauty in his green eyes just as she noticed Karl's eyes before… Something strange made something click in her mind and suddenly it all made sense to her. She wasn't crushing on Karl because of Ricky or Skulker or anyone...

She was crushing on Danny...

"Hey Dip-st.. I mean uh Phantom.. (Embarrassed sigh) Danny, If we don't make it… I want to say that I.. That I.." Ember stuttered as Dora and Aragon leveled out and tipped their wings.

"Dora! The enemy is about!" Aragon shouted harshly, interrupting Ember and Danny. "Get those fools off of your back before it gets worse! Just riding on your unkept back is punishment enough!"

"Aragon, I suggest that you watch your tongue to your sister." Karl replied over the headset in a deadpan tone. "Especially on my coms. Now be civil and compliant or their will be hell to pay."

Aragon's eyes grew wide and he quickly apologized to Karl and Dora, but the warm moments were cut to sherds as the sight of Pariah Dark's 50,000 strong army of demonic beasts appeared in front of them. "Enemy sighted!" Danny yelled into headset.

"ENGAGE!" Karl shouted over the radio, just as Aragon and Dora broke away from each other like the prongs of a pincer.

The Dragons lined up with a majority of the weaker formations of skeleton troops and unleashed a firestorm of green and blue flames across Pariah's formation. Ember and Danny dismounted from Dora and began harassing the large brutes with everything they had, Even Danny's Ghostly Wail, to anger or destroy the brutes. The brutes let out a defining scream and charged forward after the group, just as Karl had planned.

"Coming your way Technus!" Danny shouted into the headset to Technus...

* * *

_**Back at the Realm of the Far Frozen….**_

* * *

"Finally! I, Technus, The ghost master of all Science and Electrical Technology, Manipulator of machines, Lord of all gadgetry, Wizard of integrated circuitry, and.." Technus gloated with a annoyed Pointdexter scanning the skies with a range finder. "Am ready to unleash a maelstrom of destruction that on one has ever seen since! Uh Since… SINCE EVER!" Technus babbled on until Pointdexter interrupted him.

"Technus! Their coming closer! Wake up and get your eyes on the sky please!" Pointdexter shouted to get Technus's attention as he grabbed a Stalhelm from a trench near by and tighten it on his head as he dived into a hole.

"Ah yes my apprentice in chaos and confusion! Today we will unleash a technological hurricane of retribution upon the evil that is Pariah Dark's Dark Army!" Technus gloated as his Techopathy activated, causing all the newly modified Flak guns to obey his every command by the whisk of his finger tips. The meek and timid Sidney PointDexter took a deep breath and took out his range finder to track the range once more with fear filled tears dripping from his eyes as the enviably of his death stared at him through his range finder.

"Technus, Where is Herr Pointdexter?" Field Marshall Zorin asked.

"The timid one lays in his hole!" Technus shout in his usual banter like tone as he pointed to the foxhole behind him.

Erich turned around with a fatherly smirk and let out his hand to the scared young boy of fifteen. Pointdexter looked at Zorin strangely and asked what he was doing, He replied with "I know what your feeling, my boy." as he pulled Sidney from the foxhole. "What your feeling is fear, my boy, It is natural for a raw recruit to feel in the face of an upcoming battle. But you hold the rank of an officer, and you should act accordingly." Erich told him as he fixed the strap on Sidney's helmet. "Your what? Fifteen?" He asked him

Sidney nodded, "Yes, but I'm only a kid! I shouldn't be here fighting." He protested in his wheezing voice.

"My boy, I was once commanded a division of boys your age and older into the teeth of a determined enemy. And do you know what those young boys did in the face of the enemy?" Erich asked him in a father to son kind of tone, Sidney shook his head. "They fought… They fought because they knew that it would be their last if they gave into their fears. They would rather died like Lions than like dogs, and you know what happen that day when those young boys just like you did when all seemed lost?"

Sidney shook his head again.

"They fought harder. They fought like men. I expect the same from you, my boy. I see a little of myself with in you, I wasn't always the figure that stands before you. I was once like you, but then I found my courage… I found my purpose… What about you, my boy?" Erich asked him calmly. Sidney looked deep with himself and looked into the eyes of Erich Zorin, 'He's right…' Sidney said to himself before giving a confidant smile.

"Carry on Herr Untersturmfuhrer (Lieutenant)." Erich said while giving a firm salute to Sidney before continuing his inspection, leaving a confidant Sidney with the arrogant Technus as he began to babble on about the power at his finger tips.

"Technus! Sending range now! Fire at will!" Sidney yelled in manliest voice possible as Technus unleashed a storm of 20 and 88mm cannon fire into the sky, Obliterating any sense of order with in Pariah's rank and file as they followed the brutes in pursuit of the dragons.

The ripple fire of the 8.8mm Flak guns shook the ground at the feet of the Kampfgruppen and cracked the icy ground with there tremendous volleys of fire. The light quad 20mm's ripped continuously through the night sky like fireworks, Buzzing through the sky at a blistering pace as they cut into Pariah's regulars and his green dragons. Filling the sky with black clouds of flak powder, shrapnel, and tracer rounds.

* * *

_**In the sky, toward the Fjord...**_

* * *

Danny and his team raced toward the safety of the Fjord with the heavy brutes of Pariah's army drawing near, dodging volleys of blasts and arrows from the hordes of skeletons and dragons behind them as they navigated through the obstacles of the Fjord.

"Child! Where is this 'team' that Mithras spoke of?" Aragon demanded from Danny, just as the terrifying sound of MG-42 machine guns and Panzerscherk Rocket Launchers ripped through the skeleton hordes behind them.

Ember pointed toward one of the ice bridges as the sight of heavily armed stormtroopers and Far Frozen Yeti's openned up on hoards with long bursts of 8mm Mauser. The ranks were divided again, but the brutes pushed on even as the scrubs died like dogs to the withering fire of the MG-42's. The next bridge came into view and the sight of more of Karl's troops gave the group of four some relief. Danny and Ember flew into sky as the brutes continued on chasing Dora and her brother, but as soon as they broke off they saw Karl's stormtroopers breaking off and running into portals leading out of the Fjord before Thunderous roar thundered through out the fjord as the previous bridge collapsed on on top of the tale end of Pariah's formation and blocking off the exit.

"Danny! Ember!" A little girl's voice called from behind them, It was Dani with the Fright Knight, Johnny 13, and a few other ghosts behind her. "Dani! What are you doing here?" Danny asked his 'cosin'.

"Here to kick some butt! You coming?!" She yelled urgently as the final bridge detonated and crashed upon the brutes, crushing them to death, but three more remained before in the blocked off area of the Fjord. The team of Ghost, including Dora and Aragon, hovered above them and unleashed a combined assault of fire, rays, and echo-blasts until they became nothing but ashes before them… The ghost cheered and celebrated for a moment until Claudia and her communications team interrupted them.

"Sorry to burst your bubble hero," Spectra said in her hollow chipper voice. "But Pariah's troops have phased through the barrier. Luckily it's the weaker one so don't worry about how many you missed."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Yeah Yeah, whatever it's that why we have Karl's army in those trenches?"

"OWW!" Spectra cried into the radio as Kitty slapped her in the back of the head. "Danny, Karl wants your group to rejoin with the Far Frozen on the cliffs of the Fjord. Make it quick, ok?" Kitty told him in her trade mark caring voice as the regulars and some dragons phased through the rubble toward Karl's main position...

"Roger…" Danny replied as he and the ghost flew off to rejoin with Frostbite on the cliffs.

* * *

_**In the Trenches...**_

* * *

All was quiet on the frontline as the men awaited the coming battle...

Karl stepped from the trench and turned on his headset for all to here for what might be his final address to his men, to his comrades, and to those who he called his family.

_My dear friends, I am not one for speeches. But I am a man of honesty and integrity…_

_ And I say this with a heavy heart that I say these words..._

_To those I served in the war and with the order, I have always promised that I would bring you home. I swore to you all that I would not let a single one of your suffer and die in the hellhole of a trench, a field, or in the streets of a besieged city…  
_

_But today I can not promise you this anymore… Even I, your commander and brother in arms, can not promise you a safe passage home… _

_Today we are surrounded by hatred and death, with not a single hope of returning home. But even in this realm of the bitter cold and the depth of this frozen wasteland, we shall be all aware of the unity we shared together throughout the years. For the time I served under the banner of Holy Belka and the Order, I have bonded with you all as both a commander, a brother, and a father. I see each and everyone of you as an extension of myself, a son or a daughter, and I have shared my __experiences with you in the hopes of helping you as you have help me. _

_It pains me to have brought you here, but even yourselves know why I chose to bring you into this war..._

_You, my brothers and sisters, are the best __soldiers to ever walk the face of any battlefield with in history! The Iron guard made you that, Men and Women forged with Iron, Lightening, and The Fires of war itself. Throughout your training you have been taught to fight with honor, with chivalry, with courage, and without __doubt in yourselves or your abilities. We took these values as lessons and used them to build our character as both free men and women and as Soldiers. To see the ferocity of others who believed in the justice of their cause and offered themselves to the act of murder as a purification, restored my belief in humanity in knowing that people are will to fight for a cause greater than they. It was your will, your stubbornness, and your ability to live for your cause inspired me to carry your banner with pride, love, and loyalty.  
_

_To you, My Brothers and Sisters, I thank you for all you have given and taught me over these years... I wish that you, Meine Kampfgruppen, be united in thought and in deed. Once the fighting begins I will not tolerate doubt and defeatism, We shall be suffering not only in the name of the Endsieg (Final Victory) but in the name of Daily Victory against an enemy who hurls himself at us with our spite and whose only thought is to exterminate us without any understanding about what is at stake.  
_

_But our duty to protect the people of this world will out weight the hordes that await us... Your duty lays in our efforts to achieve our ultimate victory and if we do achieve, we shall be victors... Even in death... __  
_

_Today, My Brothers, We fight in the name of everyone in our country, in our world, and for those in this world! Just like the Holy Order of the Belkan Knights, We fight for all of those who can not defend themselves! _

_Today My Brothers, We fight against the Darkness of an evil greater than the Dark Lord himself in a Holy War of epic proportions!  
_

_Today My Brothers, I declare on this night that all restrictions are gone! We are the final crusade in the LAST HOLY WAR! _

_FOR OUR BROTHERS! OUR MOTHERS! OUR FATHERS! AND FOR BELKA!_

Karl lifted his rifle into the air defiantly as an up roar of cheering erupted from the trenches and over the radio as the horde of grotesque puke green skeletons and dragons charged relentlessly down the froze wasteland toward the ready machine guns and rifles laying in wait as they drew close.

Snipers, including Karl with Iron Sights, fired on the leaders and dragons with their high powered bolt action and Semi-automatic scoped rifles at well beyond one thousand meters. But the hordes showed sand, meaning they pressed on, and continued on their suicide march toward the teeth of Karl's defenses... The minefields...

The Hordes ran head long through the minefield, sending the 'Bouncing Betty' landmines into the fight and cutting down anyone who was unlucky enough to meet the garden of death that was a minefield. The straggles legs were blown completely off, but they still crawled forward as they reached the hurricane of fire that was the Machine gun nests...

With seconds, Assault rifles and machine guns opened up with bursts at ranges of 500 meters or less with everything they had...

For Karl, this was normal... The lightening fire of Machine guns, the thunder of grenades, the smell of gun powder, and the storm of adrenaline burned through his body like a firestorm. Destroying or subordinating all fear and doubt, replacing everything in his mind and body with one overwhelming goal; Survive.

Every shot hit it's mark, as Karl found his zen in the confusions and terror around him. Every pull of the trigger sent another dragon rider or archer that dared step into his sights to their grave. The sound of mortars from his lines zeroed in on the archers behind the main force as they closed in.

"Their flanking us! In the trenches!" One solider yelled as the hordes attacked from the other side and jumped into the trenches with clubs and swords. They grunted fiercely as they began to fight one on one with the Belkan troops, who responded with trench shovels, daggers, pistols, and fists as not to wound their comrades via friendly fire.

"Karl!" One solider yelled as a skeleton jumped on Karl. The Skeleton caught the Colonel off guard, knocking him to ground and landing on top of him. The fool dropped his sword and shield to grab Karl's rifle to use it as a club to smash Karl's skull in, But Karl held on to his rifle with hands at each end. Determined to murder the foe in his trench...  
The beast pressed hard against his rifle in an attempt to press the rifle against his throat in order to make him break his grip, but Karl pushed back harder. Moving his legs under the Skeleton Karl managed to kick the foe over, causing him to tumble on the ground long enough for Karl to jump to his feet and crush his skull with the butt of his Mauser rifle. "AHHHHGHGHG!" Karl cried as he killed the beasts, his instinct kicking in as he turned on his heels to decimate another attacker behind him with a quick swing of his rifle butt.

More entered the trenches and faced their end at the hands of his men... "BAYONETS! CLUBS! RIFLE BUTTS! ANYTHING! JUST KEEP FIGHTING!" Karl shouted at the top of his lungs as he broke the stock to his rifle and drew his pistol to kill two charging skeletons. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT!" Karl declared to his troops as he grabbed his broken rifle and retrieved Die Fahne from his coat. Ripping the sling from the rifle, Karl attached the flag to the latches and jumped over the top of the trench to see the final throws of the trench invasion peter out as the hordes of Pariah Dark began to fold and run away.

"HUNTER THEM DOWN!" Karl yelled as he charged after the retreating enemy, firing his pistol wildly in his right hand and brandishing the battle flag in the other. Through out the trenches men and women of the Kampfgruppen jumped over the top of their trenches with a maelstrom of cries and wails that echoed through out the line as all of the troopers ran after the Dark army with bayonet tipped rifles, trench knives, shovels, and their rifles in hand.

The Skeletons soon panicked, with some retreating into the sky to be torn to pieces by the Flak, while others saw only one way out... By fighting with the blood lusting army of Karl Dael. The battle reached mythic proportions as the 20th Century warriors fought relentlessly against an enemy of the 13th century without hassle as expected, but the bloody hand to hand combat proved that even with superior arms that the training and motivation would lead any opponent to victory as the Battle group annihilated the final ruminates in the froze fields of the Far Frozen...

With the Die Fahne flying proud and triumphant above the mountains of the dead, Karl let out a cheer as the Dawn broke over the mountains of the Far Frozen as the grim night faded into history...

"So Mithras, You think you have achieved victory?" Pariah's menacing voice boomed in the distance as a massive fire ball appeared from the sky and crashed into the wasteland below, sending a massive cloud of snow and fire into the air. In front of the Colonel stood the titanic figure of Pariah Dark sporting a new suit of armor similar to that of his fathers. Pariah was covered in an aura of Green and Purple energy with a loud thumping being heard as he stood in front of Karl.

Pariah smirked as the battle wary Karl stood in front of him in a daze, "I see my ploy has weaken you. Just as your army..." Pariah said smugly as Karl looked around him to see his battle group all laying in the snow covered in blood. "My magnificence seems to have destroyed your brave knights... But no matter, This is a war between gentlemen and not between armies..."

With a whisk of his cape, Pariah Dark transport himself and Karl to the farthest end of the Far Frozen... This is where the fate of the whole of Zone and the world would be decided...


	15. Chapter 15: Hell to the Heavens

_**One more chapter until the end of Door to Deliverance :) Enjoy this section, I finished it today :)**_

_**R&R or F&F**_

_**With love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Standing in the middle of a frozen wasteland on the other side of the realm of the Far Frozen stood two figures. The titan like figure of Pariah Dark clad in a copy of his Father armor clutching his spiked mantle and the Black coated Karl Dael with sword at his side and side iron and banner in hand.

"It has been awhile isn't my enemy?" Pariah asked him coldly with a slight grin.

"Since you bested me in your keep? Yes… About four days," Karl replied cooly as he holstered his pistol. "But that is nothing… I have both the knowledge and faith to best you, my foe."

Pariah gave a hearty and arrogant laugh, "Even with your banner and sword, you are still nothing but reincarnation and will never measure up to the TRUE Lord of Ages."

Karl's eyes burned bright teal and engulfed his hands as he untied Die Fahne from the broken rifle. The energy corset through him like a fierce storm as he held it in his hands. Tying it around his neck, Karl then removed his coat and ripped away his tunic to reveal his bare torso and scar. The energy of the flag flowed through his veins across the whole of his body, illuminating every vein from his face down to his legs and thighs. The teal energy then centered itself around his heart and scar. The arctic environment mean't nothing to Karl as the power of the Black Sun kept him warm, as did the hatred of Pariah Dark and everything he stood for...

"Today we fight with Honor. REMOVE YOUR ARMOR SCHWEIN SO THAT WE FIGHT AS MEN!" Karl shouted in a distorted and frighting voice as he placed his hand on the handle of the Millennium Sword and with drew it from it's sheath. The massive blade glowed with the fire and power of the black sun with teal fire burning along it's edges and illuminating the runes on its blade and handle.

"I wouldn't have it any other way…" Pariah replied coldly as he removed his armor to reveal a pale white muscular physique and charged up his mantle. "Any last words before I send you to the heavens for ye judgement?"

"HELL TO THE HEAVENS!" Karl yelled as charged with the sword pointed toward the ground for a heavy upward strike.

Pariah chuckled as Karl drew near and blocked the attack, but the fire of the sword grazed his skin and burned throughout his arm with serving pain. Karl backed off as Pariah regained his footing and went on the offensive once more with enough force from Karl's strikes to bury Pariah's boots in the ground.

Pariah grunted in anger and aimed his next blow for Karl's head, but was blocked by a quick strike by Karl's sword.

The battle carried on for a strenuous fifteen minutes as both opponents attacked one another with the upmost zeal with each strike resinating with hatred and loathing. But the strikes soon came to a grudge match as both Pariah and Karl locked weapons in an attempt to knock one another off of their stance and end the struggle.

"You fight well… Mithras…" Pariah groaned as he pressed his mantle harder against Karl's broad sword.

"As… Do you Pariah…" Karl replied with a chuckle.

"Your men fought well, but in vain… Soon you will join them…" Pariah taunted him.

"Likewise!" Karl yelled as he charged up his energy for one more push, but Pariah's power was too much as he pushed down harder making Karl's knees bend backward.

"Surrender and I'll conceder a swift end to your life!" Pariah said in a low tone as he relished in the coming defeat of Karl.

"Capitulation? NEIN!" Karl shouted as he fell on his back and lifted the giant pariah will all the force he could muster and tossed him over him. Jumping to his feet, Karl let out one more powerful strike that broke Pariah's mantle in two. Letting out a soul shattering battle cry, Karl lifted his sword into the air for one last blow toward the disarmed Pariah Dark to give a swift end to this drawn out dual...

But Karl hesitated as he gazed upon the unarmed Pariah… The code of honor that he followed looked with distain upon anyone who killed those who are unarmed...

Pariah smirked and took this as his advantage to launch a well placed burst of energy against Karl's scar, his only weak point...

The blast threw Karl off balance and launched him a few feet away from Pariah, putting him on his back and throwing his sword some feet away from him. He was stunned, as he was before, but instincts kicked in and he rolled over on his stomach and dragged himself to retrieve his sword from the snow.

"I admire you Mithras, You fight with almost religious zeal… But all is in the name of vanity and ego." Pariah said smugly as he charged up his ring for the death blow as he walked toward Karl. "The power you hold with in you is a burden, Isn't it Mithras? All of this power, the power to decimate empires, raze nations, and break even the most stubborn of foes. Yet you use your power and your legion to defend a realm of ingrates and tyrants? Even if you manage to best me, you will only install another man or woman of questionable ethics… Where will you be when I fall and another comes to unleash yet another reign of terror upon this realm? Tell me this as you take your final breath…"  
Pariah soon approached Karl, who was nearly able to feel the leather bound grip of is long sword, and stepped on his hand. Crushing it beneath his iron boot as he knelled down to eye level with the defiant Karl Dael.

"Where are you going?"

Those words were the breaking point for Karl… It was those words that drove him to join the order, the words that made himself launch his own reign of terror upon all of the paranormal persuasion in the name of a enraged and rabid little man in a wheelchair and his band of traitors for the reward of self interest…  
It was enough… Karl took whatever emotion he had left and turned it into the purest energy on earth; Hatred…  
Channeling of the reserves of his power, Karl unleashed a massive explosion from with in his body the engulfed both himself and Pariah with in its wake...

* * *

_**Near by...**_

* * *

The ghosts gasped in front of the appalling loss of life in front of them… Bones of Pariah's Army, shell casing of every caliber, steel helmets, abandon rifles, and the bodies of the selfless Battle group who gave their lives to protect the zone. Out of all the dead, The ghosts searched for Karl who was no where to be found in the slaughter. .

Danny, Dani, Desiree, Claudia, Ember, and Erich gazed into the distance as a massive explosion shook the arctic tundra. A massive cloud of blue dust and snow flew into the sky…

"Over there!" Dani, Ember, and Claudia yelled as they flew toward the site of the explosion near by...

They soon arrived at the site where the site of Pariah Dark laid on his back in the snow, covered in burned and wounds, with a strange figure dressed in black and maroon Templar armor with a broadsword in hand standing in front of Karl who laid on his stomach in the snow as well.

The three girls gasped in terror and awe as the finally throws of the battle unfolded before them...

* * *

_**On the Field...**_

* * *

Karl turned on to his back and reached into his belt for his pistol, If he was going to die he was going to die with his Side Iron in hand.

"Carlous, Rise." A voice echoed around him as Karl checked his pistol to see that only a single bullet was left in the chamber. "Carlous! Rise!" The voice called again, this time followed by the sound of foot steps. Karl turned his head and soon saw the sabaton and schynbalds of a suit of armor. Karl gazed up to see a Templar Knight with black and maroon armor looking down at him with Die Fahne covering his left side...

Karl knew who this was from his trip back in time… It was the Lord of Ages… Mithras...

"Come, child of mine. Come to your feet." Mithras spoke as he let his hand out to Karl.

"Lord Mithras… You… Your…" Karl stuttered as he staggered to his feet after his emission.

"Alive… Yes, but I have always been alive with in Die Fahne…" Mithras spoke coldly as he looked on at Pariah Dark as he laid in the snow. "Sigmund's offspring…"

Karl nodded and preceded to inform the Lord of Ages of the return of the heart, But he placed his hand to silence Karl and walked toward Pariah with Karl at his side. The Lord spoke in a unknown language to the linguistic Colonal, but oddly Karl understood what he said. The Lord spoke of everything… The Past… The Present… and Even the Future of both the Mortal and Supernatural world…  
Why he told of this to him was a mystery…

As they reached Pariah Dark, He lifted his head to see the figures of Mithras and Karl standing in front of him. "How…. How!?" Pariah demanded as he began coughing up as his father did 4000 years ago. Mithras and Karl placed their boots on his chest as they stood truimphantly above him. Mithras grabbed the handle of his sword with both hands and pointed the blade downward above Pariah's chest...

Karl placed his hands on Mithras's and the two began to speak in unison...

**If spirits threaten me in this place,**

**Fight Water by Water and Fire by Fire,**

**Banish their souls into nothingness**

**and remove their powers until the last trace**

**Let these evil beings flee**

**Through time and space**

Together, The Lord and The Colonel, planted the blade of the sword through Pariah's heart… Ending the nightmarish rule of the Son of Sigmund Dark...

A bright light engulfed the warriors and blinding the on lookers in the distance...

The light faded and only Karl remained with his hands gripped firmly up on the sword as it protruded from a large heart set upon a pile of ashes. He looked down at the still beating heart as it gave it's final defiant beat before the arctic wind turned the heart into ash…

Karl… His Company… His Friends… They accomplished the impossible…

They freed the Zone...

Without warning Karl was tackled by his ghostly friends who lifted him into the air and cheer gleefully. The war was won...

* * *

_**Sometime later...**_

* * *

Once the group reached the Far Frozen, a feast was held in honor of the Colonel, his company, and the ghosts who saved the whole of the zone from yet another Dark age.

Everyone celebrated in the name of those who gave it all, while some celebrated with grand news such as their new relationship, Danny and Ember, Karl stayed quiet and walked to the wasteland with a scotch and water in his hand...

For over two hours, Karl walked to every corpse and addressed them by name, rank, and honored them accordingly. The Colonel knew each of these men and women who served with him and it broke his heart in two to see them laying in this frozen wasteland so far from home.

"I wish I could have done more for you…" Karl said lament fully, using the word 'You' in a collective sense for his whole Kampfgruppe. "You will never leave my hearts, my boys… I will always remember you all for what you have done for me…"

"Oh mothers whip your tears as your sons will rest a million years…" The quiet voice of Claudia came from behind him.

Karl gave a long and tired sigh, "Thank you for your condolences… But I have lost my friends, my family, and my word… What could you possibly want?"

"I want to congratulate you on your victory… As well as bring you the thanks of your new comrades who are in the village celebrating. They wish that you join them." Claudia replied professionally with a hint of understanding in her voice.

"No… My hopes died in winter and I deserve to lament the loss of my comrades…" Karl said in a hopeless tone. "I only wish that they could return home… Then at least I will have some of my word left to give…"

"So it be done…" The echoing voice of Desiree replied from behind Claudia as the bodies disappeared and returned home to Belka.

Karl looked on in surprise to see that the wish granters magic came without a price of some kind. "What is this?"

Claudia smirked, "I made a few alterations with my magic to fix her fault in her abilities. Should I make the next wish for you if you are afraid?"

"What do you know about my desires, Witch." Karl replied coldly with a scowl.

"Ember spoke of a girl, Dusk If I remember correctly…"Desiree spoke up. "That your heart yearns for a reunion with her…"

Karl's face turned rose red and he turned around to avoid them, "I have no idea what you speak off." he replied.

"Oh Karl… How little you know…" Claudia replied with a chuckle. "Karl… I will make a deal with you."

"I'm listening…" Karl said with a smirk as he turned around to face Claudia...


	16. Epilogue

_**Heres the end of DOD, Thank you all for your viewship and reviews :) **_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

After the end of the war, Erich and what remained of the Kampfgruppen returned to Belka... Under oath not to speak of anything that transpired between them and the order, but was Erich and his men awarded a substantial bonus by the government and church for his service. The majority, about 95% of it, went to the families of the fallen troopers who served in the name of humanity and Holy Belka in the defense of the Far Frozen.

Desiree returned to her lover, the ghost writer where she told him of the brave Colonel and a band of ad hoc soliders defeated the most powerful ghost in existence...

Danny Phantom and Ember became love birds and went on their first date together shortly after Danny broke up with his former girlfriend, Sam. The two soon found out that they had much more in common with one another then they thought and explored the far reaches of each others hearts together. But Ember still thinks occasionally of the Colonel who gave her closure in her time of need...

Dani Phantom stayed in the realm of the Far Frozen, where she was trained to become just as skilled as her 'Cosine'...

Technus and PointDexter stayed in the realm of the Far Frozen where they work ferociously on projects ranging from basic computers to a transportation system between the Zone and the rest of the underworld. The two became partners and enjoyed a mutual friendship between one another, even though their were heated debates regarding the treatment of others...

Claudia returned to the mortal world via the Infi-Map, where she engaged in a one on one discussion about Coalian and his treachery with in the Brimstone Society with the Doctor himself, which lead to her reassignment to due to insufficient evidence regarding the level of betrayal committed by Coalian. She now resides with the 2nd Battalion of the Wolf Brigade in the depths of the Siberian Tundra...

And Karl? He just... Vanished...

* * *

_**Two Weeks after the Defeat of Pariah Dark...**_

* * *

Karl lifted his black civilian fedora from his eyes as the light of the sun broke through the cracks of the box car door. After his defections from the order, Karl placed his trade mark uniform and coat inside of a duff bag, which he used as his pillow for the last two weeks, and dawned a black flannel shirt, black undershirt, faded blue jeans, Camouflaged half zipped jacket, and old red-wing ankle boots for a more civilian look rather than his militarist appearance. In his Bag/Pillow was his uniform of course, along with his Mauser pistol and some rations to keep him nourished over his long journey across the states to reach the southern United States.

Only one bullet was in the chapter of the C-96, and it was meant for the man that trapped him with in the zone...

Karl saved every bit of his power just in case the rogue and naive Valarie Grey decided to ruin his now hard, but some what ease life.

The train came to a halt and the sounds of trucks echoed outside of the boxcar, a signal that Karl had reached his destination.

He reached over into his bag and grabbed one of the last of his cigarettes and lit it with the snap of his fingers, using his powers as a lighter, before standing up to open the door. The smell of burning diesel fuel, steel, and the sweet scent of Oak trees put a large and thankful smile on his face as he jumped down from the train to see the beauty of the tree covered hills in the misc of the train-yard. Throwing his duffle bag over his shoulder he made his way down a service road toward a small back road leading out of the rail-yard.

As he walked, he took out a note that Claudia wrote to him just before he left the order...

_Dear Karl,  
__I want to say that I am fortunate to have served with you, both officially and unofficially, for these past years.__ The doctor has bestowed upon you relative immunity from the Order and the majority of it's untrustworthy superiors. But you and I both know that it will not stop that rat known as Coalian...  
A personal bank account has been set up in your name with a substantially sum of money for your service in the Order, curiosity by the Doctor and I.  
Call it a parting gift, my old friend..._

_With Honor and Love, Claudia Marlin._

_P.S. We found your Brother and Sister... Bring them home._

The rest of the note was nothing but directions to a place that he thought he would never see again, and it was crumbled up at the bottom of his pocket. Reaching the main road he traveled eastward and passed a sigh that read, "Trusseville 5 miles".

Karl stopped and looked at the sigh until it finally burned itself into his mind... "Welcome home..." He said to himself as the memories of the past began to surface once again.

"Welcome Home..."


	17. Note to my Dear and Beloved Readers

_**Hello there Dear Read, **_

_**I posted this little note to Door to Deliverance as a personal thank you to the Danny Phantom Community for reading my story even though it does not usually follow the Danny Phantom Fanfiction style of Danny as the Protagonist. When I started writing Fanfics for the Hex Girls and began with Karl as my trade mark OC for my fics. Some people may not like OC's, but I think they add a great addition to a story as you can put yourself into the mix.  
Karl is based off of myself and I've gotten some good comments about how people like Karl so it touches me a bit to read a comment about him. **_

_**Now I got a few Reviews considering the Karl Dael and Muffy "Dusk" , the Drummer of the Hex Girls, Ship. Guys, don't worry I'm going to be posting another story soon called "Going Under" when I have the Time. I just started classes at my new private school and so far my time is consummed by exams and essays so I can get out of school.  
So when I do Post "Going Under" It might take more than a couple of days or more to update. Either way I'm glad to see I'm picking up some fans for the Karl & Dusk ship :)**_

_**Review over my past few stories or maybe shoot me a PM and I'll put I little more work toward getting "Going Under" started :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_


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